Munda decries Left role on Nuke deal and Mining policy

Jamshedpur, Oct 24 (UNI) Jharkhand Leader of Opposition Arjun Munda today criticised the Left Front for its role on the Indo-US Nuclear deal and the National Mining Policy of the UPA government at the Centre.

Talking to newspersons here, Mr Munda alleged that the Left was working at the behest of China on both issues and dubbed the Left as ''anti-national''.

The former Chief Minister said the Left should make its stand clear on the mining policy and the nuclear deal.

About the mining policy, Mr Munda said if the policy was implemented, it would help China use India's raw materials, including iron ore.

He said the government should consider its decision to export iron ore.

''We must preserve our iron ore for our domestic use only as export at this stage will be an adverse impact on our economy, '' Mr Munda said.

The BJP leader said the mineral-rich state like Jharkhand would be at the receiving end and would bear the brunt if the mining policy was introduced.

He said the Centre should have constituted a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) and taken the the Opposition into confidence before going for nuclear deal and framing the mining policy.

Mr Munda also trained his guns to the Jharkhand government, alleging that the Madhu Koda-led UPA government was destroying all the infrastructural facilites, which were built during the NDA regime.

He also expressed concern over the dire state of power situation in the state and stressed on exploiting the state's vast natural resources, including coal to bring back the economy in the right track.

UNI