There was a stiff opposition from all quarters for Kalyanikhani Open Cast Project (OCP) at Mandamarri which the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) proposes to open at Mandamarri in Adilabad district. In the public hearing on the project with villagers, coal miners and opposition leaders, the project was vehemently opposed by all including Congress party’s Peddapalli MP G. Vivekanand.
There was commotion right from the beginning of the meeting as TRS and Telangana Boggu Gani Karmika Sangham (TBGKS) activists led by Chennur MLA Nallala Odelu raised slogans against the Kalyanikhani OCP. The MLA was bundled out of the venue by the police for a brief period following the ruckus. Congress MLC Venkat Rao favoured the project which would reduce the production costs and save the SCCL from doom besides aiding the power generation.
Villagers from Yerreguntapalle, which would be worst hit if the OCP gets a go ahead, staged a demonstration demanding withdrawal of the proposal for opening the Kalyanikhani OCP. Banoth Sarana from Mamidiguda, Gundam Ramaswamy from Yerrauntapalle, Durgam Bhuvanamma and Rapalli Srinivas from Kasipet among others, opined that the project would steal their livelihoods.
V.S. Krishna, general secretary of the Human Rights Forum (HRF) submitted a memorandum at the public hearing chaired by Collector A. Ashok giving details of the negative impact of the project. He found fault even with the manner in which the public hearing was held.
