It is reported that hundreds of lorries carrying iron ore were forced to halt at Guntakal and Yadiki in the district following an agitation launched by opposition parties against alleged illegal mining by Obulapuram Mining Company.

Protesting irregularities by OMC, CPI activists stopped the lorries at Obulapuram, Guntakal, Gutti, Yadiki and Tadipatri areas. They were allowed to move only after 3:00 PM.

Earlier, demanding CBI inquiry into irregularities resorted to by OMC to the tune of Hundreds of crores, Opposition parties TDP, CPI, CPM and Lok Satta staged a mega dharna before the Collectorate. They also demanded that all kinds of minerals in the State be declared as national wealth.

When the dharna was about to take a violent turn as several thousands of opposition party activists reached the Collectorate by 10:00 AM police swung into action and arrested several leaders.

The Opposition leaders demanded that the Government stop the mining forthwith and have OMC surveyed by Survey of India besides seizing all the company’s records.

The Opposition urged a probe into notices issued to OMC by the DFO alleging illegal mining in the reserve forest to the tune of INR 750 crore and seize the iron ore.

Opposition should be given a chance to scrutinise all the licenses, permits and files OMC in the presence of Assembly Speaker, they demanded. They also pressed for an inquiry by a team of senior officers from Revenue, Mines and Geology, Vigilance, Industries, Forest, Customs, Commercial and Income Tax departments into the issue.

(Sourced from Express Buzz)