Prahlad Joshi, Union Minister for Coal and Mines, announced on Thursday that three lignite mines in Tamil Nadu’s Delta region had been removed from the seventh tranche of coal block auctions. He stated that the decision was made after BJP Tamil Nadu President Annamalai rushed to his Bengaluru office with a request to exclude three coal mine blocks in Tamil Nadu.
The inclusion of the state’s fertile Cauvery delta regions for the coal block auctioning had sparked a row.
In this situation, Tamil Nadu BJP leader Annamalai went to Bangalore and met with Central Coal Mining Minister Prakalat Joshi, submitting a petition requesting that no coal mining take place in the delta region and that the coal mines up for auction in the delta region be removed from the list.
In his petition to the Union Minister, Annamalai said, “On 29 March 2023, the Ministry of Coal released a tender to auction coal mines for Sales of Coal/Lignite. The tender document called for the auction of coal reserves in the East of Sethiathope, Michaelpatti & Vadaseri. In the year 2020, the State Government of Tamil Nadu passed the Tamil Nadu Protected Agricultural Zone Development Act 2020, which bans hydrocarbon extraction in 8 districts (Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagappattinam, Pudukottai, Cuddalore, Ariyalur, Karur and Tiruchirappalli) in Tamil Nadu. These blocks called for auction in the Tender released by the Ministry of Coal are in the Protected Agricultural Zone.”
He further said, “This law was enacted due to widescale farmers protests in the Delta region of Tamil Nadu after the DMK government in 2011 signed up with Great Eastern Energy Corporation for the exploration & later extraction of Coal bed methane from Manargudi. Though the East of Sethiathope, Michaelpatti & Vadaseri blocks were explored for coal reserves in the erstwhile UPA regime, the farmers in the Delta region have unanimously voiced against coal/ coalbed methane extraction from their region as it could affect the quality of groundwater and in turn, could affect agriculture in the Delta region.”
Hence, Annamalai requested the Union Minister that the three extraction blocks proposed in the recently released coal auction tender be removed.
After receiving a request from Tamil Nadu BJP President Annamalai, Minister Pralhad Joshi stated, “In the spirit of cooperative federalism and keeping the interests of the people of TN in mind, I have directed to exclude them from auction.”
.@BJP4TamilNadu Pres. @annamalai_k rushed to call upon me in Bengaluru with request to exclude 3 Lignite mines from auctions in 7th tranche.
In spirit of cooperative federalism & keeping in mind interest of people of TN, I have directed to exclude them from auction.@mkstalin pic.twitter.com/Zd25WoC0GJ
— Pralhad Joshi (@JoshiPralhad) April 6, 2023
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