TN assembly adopts unanimous resolution against tungsten mining in Madurai
The Tamil Nadu assembly on Monday adopted a unanimous resolution urging the union government to immediately cancel the Tungsten mining rights given to Hindustan Zinc Limited at Nayakkarpatti Village in Madurai district.
While the ruling DMK’s alliance partners and the opposition AIADMK supported the resolution, the BJP remained evasive, while it did not oppose the resolution.
The house witnessed heated arguments and exchanges as the resolution was tabled in the assembly on Monday. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, opposition leader Edappadi K. Palanisami, and Water Resources Minister Durai Murugan engaged in arguments over the issue.
While Palanisami said that the ruling DMK government chose to remain silent even when the union government brought amendments to the Mines and Minerals Act of 1957, Stalin argued saying he will not allow mining as long as he holds the post of the chief minister.
Palanisami accused the DMK government of being inactive for the 10 months since the union government brought the amendment to the Mines and Minerals Act, 1957 with regard to the mining of critical and strategic minerals.
“The DMK MPs in the parliament should have exerted pressure against this amendment. They did not even talk against the union government for auctioning the tungsten mining process,” Palanisami accused.
Meanwhile, Durai Murugan argued that the state had opposed the union government’s move to auction and also the amendments in the act, time and again.
Interrupting during the debate while Palanisami was talking on the resolution, Stalin said, “The DMK MPs opposed the amendment. However, the BJP government passed the bill using its majority in 2023. The Leader of the Opposition Palanisami might have felt that way. But in reality, the DMK government opposed this scheme stoutly and it will continue to oppose it.”
A week before protests broke out at the Melur Taluk in Madurai against the Vedanta-owned company, Hindustan Zinc Limited was being awarded the mining rights to mine tungsten in an ecologically sensitive region.