Now Reading: YSRCP warns it will take Panchadarla mining issue to Parliament
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YSRCP warns it will take Panchadarla mining issue to Parliament
The YSR Congress Party has said it will raise the matter of illegal mining at Panchadarla in Anakapalli district of Andhra Pradesh in Parliament if the government does not issue a permanent…
The Story in Brief
The YSR Congress Party has said it will raise the matter of illegal mining at Panchadarla in Anakapalli district of Andhra Pradesh in Parliament if the government does not issue a permanent order declaring the sacred hill a No-Mining Zone. Party leaders met Union Ministers on Wednesday, demanding a CBI probe into Anakapalli MP C.M. Ramesh and highlighting environmental damage from excessive gravel extraction. Araku MP Gumma Thanuja Rani said Union Ministers G. Kishan Reddy and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat assured that a Central team would examine the mining activity and act within 10 days.
The party claims official inquiries found that mining blasts were affecting sacred water streams and that nearly two lakh tonnes of gravel were extracted beyond the approved plan. Former minister Gudivada Amarnath said penalties of about Rs 250 crore were due for illegal excavation and called for Ramesh's resignation. YSRCP leaders warned that agitation would continue until a permanent No-Mining Zone order is issued.
The Indian Opinion
This is the latest round in a familiar fight between Andhra's ruling coalition and the opposition YSRCP over mining on a hill many revere. What is new is the specific allegation of nearly Rs 250 crore in unpaid penalties, a figure the government must either confirm or contest with its own records. The Union Ministers' promise of a Central team inspection within 10 days is a concrete test. Will that report see the light of day, and will it name who approved the excess extraction beyond the plan period?
Source: telanganatoday.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
