Withhold approval for forest clearance: Naidu

Hyderabad, July 29 (UNI) Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N Chandrababu Naidu today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to issue instructions to the authorities concerned to withhold the final approval for forest clearance to the Obulapuram Mining Company.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, he also urged Dr Singh to intervene in the ''illegal and malafide''action of the Andhra Pradesh government. The state government had sent a proposal to the Ministry of Environment and Forests to issue final forest approvals required under section (2) of Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 to Obulapuram Mining Company for extracting iron ore to an extent of 25.98 hectares in Ananthapur district.

He said it was learnt that the government had sent its recommendations for phase one approval, concealing facts and required information about several cases pending in the High Courts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnakata and the Supreme Court.

He alleged the lessee had been extracting iron ore in gross violation of the conditions laid down in CFE, CFO and Mining approval.

The state government had not fulfilled its responsibility in accordance with the guidelines of the Union Government in this vital issue and had furnished only the information given by the lessee which was ''inadequate and misleading'', the letter said.

He said in the letter the precious mineral wealth of the nation should be preserved. If and when they were to be given for exploration to private individuals, it should be after thorough scrutiny, following all the existing rules and regulations in force.

He urged Dr Singh to instruct the authorities concerned to withold final approval for the forest clearance till the fulfilment of all the required conditions by the lessee and the pronouncement of final verdict in the cases pending in various courts of law.

UNI