TDP to lead all-party team to Delhi

HYDERABAD: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) will lead an all-party delegation to Delhi tomorrow to mobilise the support of various parties against illegal mining.

TDP will press for a review of mining policy and demand State takeover of mines or call for global bids for allotting mining leases. The party is of the opinion that mining money should reach the exchequer and should not be pocketed by some invidiuals.

TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu, who held an all-party meeting at his residence this evening, demanded that all the officers involved in the Obulapuram Mining Company’s irregularities should be arrested and prosecuted. He demanded that Mining and Forest ministers should resign or the Chief Minister should sack them from the Cabinet.

He also sought an all-party meeting to finalise the terms of references of CBI probe into the OMC’s irregularities.

All files relating to mining activities of OMC should be placed before the State Legislative Assembly Speaker for the scrutiny of all leaders, Naidu demanded.

CPM State secretary BV Raghavulu said that the State Government ordered stopping of mining in Anantapur district as it had no other option on hand.

He demanded a probe into all other illegal mining activities in the State.

CPI leader K Ramakrishna said that the State Government’s directive to stop mining in Anantapur vindicated the Opposition’s stand that there were irregularities in the iron ore mines of OMC.