Tungsten mining project will not be implemented in Melur taluk, Minister assures villagers

Tamil Nadu government officials reassure residents of Madurai district that tungsten mining project will not be implemented.

After Tamil Nadu government reiterated its stand against tungsten mining project in Madurai district in the Assembly, Minister for Commercial Taxes and Registration P. Moorthy visited Arittapatti and nearby villages on Thursday and assured the people that the project would not be implemented in Melur taluk.

Mr. Moorthy, Collector M.S. Sangeetha, Superintendent of Police B.K. Arvind and other officials visited Arittapatti, A. Vallalapatti, Kidaripatti, Therkutheru and Narasingampatti. Addressing the residents of Arittapatti, Mr. Moorthy said that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had given assurance that the project would not be implemented. Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu also spoke in the Assembly about the government’s position against the project.

He said that at a gram sabha meeting held earlier at Arittapatti, in which he had participated, a resolution was passed against the project. The State government had adopted a resolution in the Assembly, urging the Central government to cancel the project.

Mr. Moorthy told the residents that they need not fear as the State government had passed the resolution against the project. The government was with the people, he said.

The people had staged protests against the project and it was their right to voice their concern against the project. However, the residents should not believe those who were trying to instigate them to agitate for political reasons, he said.

When one of the village elders raised concerns over cases being booked against those who had participated in the protests staged on January 7, the Minister said that he would take up the issue with the Chief Minister to withdraw the cases booked against the protesters.

After addressing the residents of Arittapatti, the Minister along with the officials met residents of the other villages.