CPI(M) wants MoU with Jindal Group cancelled

CPI(M) wants MoU with Jindal Group cancelled

The Hindu

October 19 2005

Fears over destruction of environment

The MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) was signed without consulting anyone, the party's central committee member and Khammam MLA T. Veerabhadram says. He announced that the CPI (M) activists would lay a siege to the Collectorate here on October 19. CITU State president Ch. Narsinga Rao and seeks imposition of health emergency in view of many people dying of fevers,Tribals facing hardships due to shortage of medicine, doctors and paramedical staff

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Sunday asked the State Government to cancel the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the Jindal Group for setting up an alumina refinery and smelter plant in Visakhapatnam.

"The MoU was signed unilaterally without consulting anyone,'' the CPI(M) central committee member and Khammam MLA T. Veerabhadram told a meeting here.

Addressing the CPI (M) district office-bearers and party activists, he said the refinery and smelter plant proposed with an investment of Rs.9,000 crores would destroy the environment and displace the tribals from the agency area.

He announced that the CPI (M) activists would lay a siege to the District Collectorate here on October 19 to press for the scrapping of the MoU.

Health emergency

Mr. Veerabhadram said that though the agreement was signed some four months ago, the details of the terms and conditions are yet to be made public.

He also criticised Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy for his failure to sanction house-sites and houses under various schemes for the rural and urban poor.

Fever outbreak

Expressing concern over the outbreak of fevers in the agency area, the CITU State president Ch. Narsinga Rao said many tribals were dying of various fevers and dengue and demanded imposition of health emergency.

He said the tribals were being forced to face inexplicable hardship due to shortage of medicines, doctors and paramedical staff.

'Fishermen marginalised'

Mr. Rao alleged that fishermen were being marginalised due to various projects like Gangavaram port and Special Economic Zone and asked the authorities to distribute them one bag of rice and five kg of red gram per family.

Among others, CPI(M) city president K. Loknadham and senior leaders M.V.S. Sarma, V.S. Padmanabha Raju, A. Balakrishna and B. Ganga Rao spoke.