The All India Agriculture and Rural Workers Sangam has condemned the attempts being made to shift the granite seized at Somalammakonda of Cheemalapadu forest block in Ravikamatam mandal in the district.
In a statement, the outfit’s national secretary P.S. Ajay Kumar said that a private company was illegally mining on the hill, located in the Kalyanalova reservoir area. The tribal people and farmers were agitating since long demanding an end to the mining in the area.
The Forest and Revenue Departments conducted a survey in March this year and identified that the place where mining was being done was in a forest block. They ordered stoppage of mining and seized the mining equipment and granite on May 1, this year.
He alleged that a man named V. Srinu came on behalf of the private company at around 1 a.m. on the intervening night of Wednesday/Thursday and tried to shift the granite but was prevented from doing so by tribal women who squatted on the road.
The sangam demanded cancellation of ‘way bills’, issued by the Assistant Director of Mines in Anakapalle, for lifting of the granite and registration of cases against Srinu under the Forest Rights Act. He appealed to the Collector to conduct an inquiry into the incident.
