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Mining will not be stopped, says EP Jayarajan

Some people use the locals to collect mineral sand, stock it and then in the cover of darkness smuggle it out in lorries and boats, he said.

Thiruvananthapuram: Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan has reiterated that black sand mining at Alappad will not be stopped. Responding to an adjournment notice given by Mr P.T. Thomas, Congress in the Assembly on Tuesday, he said, “some even export black sand by using the local people. If this is stopped, the protest will also end. The protest is against the state’s interests," he said.

Some people use the locals to collect mineral sand, stock it and then in the cover of darkness smuggle it out in lorries and boats, he said.

The protesters were about to withdraw the strike after a meeting on January 17. However, they continue the protest due to the intervention of some external forces with an agenda, he said.

“The mining has been going on for 50 years. The reason for the erosion of the seashore is not black sand mining, but the reduction in the sand that flows from rivers to the sea and tsunami," the minister said.

The Opposition walked out of the Assembly as Speaker P. Sreeramakri-shnan rejected the adjou-rnment notice.

Mr Jayarajan said he had no intention to hold talks with the agitators. However, he may visit Alappad to take stock of the situation.

Mr P.T. Thomas said that the lands and houses of over 3,600 families of Alappad were taken away without their knowledge. “Almost 180 hectares was taken over without seeking permission from the owners, by drawing up a deed agreement in the name of the Kerala Governor,” he said.

However, Mr Jayarajan who denied it said that it is not possible to acquire such a large area of land without anyone's permission.

“If anyone at Alappad had complained to you that their land had been taken over without their knowledge, please let me know,” said Mr Jayarajan.

Govt to meet cement dealers

The state government will convene a meeting of cement dealers to bring down the price of cement which is skyrocketing.

Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan told Mr N. Shamsudhin of the Musl-im League in the Assem-bly on Tuesday that the public sector Malabar Ce-ments had already taken steps to fix the maximum retail price at '420.

The government has also taken steps to incre-ase the sales percentage of Malabar Cement in the market.

Earlier, while raising the issue, Mr Shamshudin pointed out that the price of cement in the state was '50 more than that in other parts of the country. This was deliberate as the state had seen an increase in construction activities in the aftermath of the floods. About 30 percent of over 8.5 lakh sacks of cement needed on an average in the state is used by the government. However, Malabar Cement has only eight to 10 percent of the sale in the state, said Mr Shamshudin.

Kerala Government Co-ntractors Association pre-sident Varghese Kannampally has said that the price of cement in state was Rs 100-Rs 110 more than that in rest of the country.

The state should introduce a regulatory mechanism for cement in the state. Even now, cement companies which entered into an annual contract with big companies supplied the cement at Rs 140 per sack. The government can enter into such an agreement with the cement companies. In Tamil Nadu, the government was supplying its own brand Amma Cement at Rs 190, said Mr Kanna-mpally.

The present price rise was due to the collusive agreement with cement companies, he said. “Ear-lier, along with builders association we had appr-oached the Competitive Commission of India against such collusive agreement. The commission had fined Rs 7 crore on cement companies. Though they moved the competitive tribunal, it upheld the judgment. The case is now before the Supreme Court, said Mr Kannampally.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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