VISAKHAPATNAM: A couple of weeks after Union Minister for Tribal Welfare and Araku MP V Kishore Chandra Deo said he will have the Governor’s powers invoked if necessary to prevent bauxite mining and safeguard tribal interests, a four-member committee appointed by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) is set to visit the proposed bauxite mining areas in Chintapalle and Anantagiri mandals in the district on December 21 and 22.The committee will also hold discussions with representatives of various NGOs and government officials.Sources said the members of the committee consisting of chairman and former director- general of forests and former chairman of National Environment Appellate Authority (NEAA) JC Kala, former principal chief conservator of forests M Kamala Naidu, Tribal Cultural Research and Training Institute former director VNVK Sastry and Director-General of Administrative Staff College of India SK Rao will visit the mining areas at Chintapalle on December 20, Anantagiri on December 21 and meet government officials, politicians, tribals and NGOs on December 22 in Visakhapatnam.During the visit, the fourmember committee will examine the socio-economic impact of bauxite mining, remedial measures, availability and requirement of bauxite mines, MoU between Andhra Pradesh Mining Development Corporation (APMDC), Jindal South West Holding Limited and Anrak Alumina Company among others.It may be recalled that two members of the committee- -its chairman JC Kala and M Kamala Naidu--had visited Araku valley and Anantagiri mandals which have huge bauxite reserves on October 10 and 11 this year.Their visit on was kept a secret as Maoists had called Bharat bandh on October 11 protesting the arrest of the leader of special zonal committee of Andhra Odisha Border (AOB) Damodar alias Azad.The duo had visited Rattakonda, Gaalikonda and other hilly areas where APMDC sought permission for mining of bauxite to be supplied to Jindal South West Holding Limited’s aluminium refinery at Boddavaram of S Kota mandal in Vizianagaram district.Officials sources said APMDC had sought permission for mining of bauxite in around 1,212 hectares of forest land in Chintapalle mandal and 304 hectares of forest land in Araku valley and Anantagiri mandals in the district.Sources said APMDC had obtained first level forest clearance for mining of bauxite in 1,212 hectares in Chintapalle mandal while it is yet to get environmental and forest clearances for mining in 304 hectares in Araku valley and Anantagiri.
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