Speakers at a public meeting held in Bayyaram on Tuesday night reiterated their demand for scrapping the Government Order relating to allotment of the iron ore mines in Bayyaram to the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP).
The meeting was organised to mark culmination of the Telangana Joint Action Committee-sponsored bus yatra to Bayyaram.
A majority of the speakers sought setting up of the steel plant at Bayyaram to create employment opportunities for local youths and all-round development of the tribal areas. They asserted that they would not allow shifting of iron ore from Bayyaram situated in the fifth schedule area to the VSP.
TJAC chairman M. Kodandaram, TRS Legislature Party leader Etela Rajender, BJP district president K Sridhar Reddy, and others spoke. Earlier, the bus yatra arrived at the mandal headquarters from Mahabubabad in Warangal district. TJAC leaders visited the iron ore mines in Bayyaram and announced that the TJAC would undertake a sustained agitation against the allotment of iron ore mines in Bayyaram to the VSP.
Move opposed
Warangal Staff Reporter adds: The Telangana JAC has appealed to people to stand united and oppose shifting of iron ore from the region.
Speaking to newsmen before leaving to Bayyaram, JAC chairman Kodandaram said the government’s decision to allocate iron ore of Bayyaram to Visakha Steel Plant was against the interests of people of the region. Only the tribal people have a right over the natural resources in their area and nobody should interfere with their rights, he said.
“The Chief Minister challenging the opposed view on the issue is very bad. No ruler in the world can go against the people and their aspirations. We will mobilise people and see that iron ore is not shifted from Telangana,” he said.
The government’s decision would only result in looting of rich mineral wealth of the region.
