Naidu urges PM to conveneall-party meet to discuss mining mafia

New Delhi,Dec 3: The Telugu Desam Party supremo N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday urged the Centre to convene an all-party meet to discuss mining mafia that is looting the wealth of the nation through illegal mining in encroached areas, including forest lands.Talking to media persons, Naidu said that he would continue his efforts to mobilise political support for his campaign till government initiates action against Reddy brothers owned  Obulapuram Mining Company Pvt Ltd (Omc).He urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to immediately convene an all-party meet to debate the issue and formulate a new comprehensive mining policy to save the national wealth.He also wanted suspension of all mining in the country and a ban on iron ore exports.He said that all-party members would meet on Dec 9 to chalk out future course of action and modalities against mining mafia particularly to expose the role of the Reddy brothers in looting the Andhra Pradesh state exchequer of valuable public money.

TDP supremo Naidu had met the Yadav chieftains — Mulayam Singh and Lalu Prasad, INLD president Om Prakash Chautala,  National Conference boss Farooq Abdullah and his NCP counterpart Sharad Pawar as part of his exercise to mobilize support for his agitation.The issue is corruption and flagrant violation of environmental and forest laws. It is not an issue restricted to the Opposition or the ruling block alone,Naidu told mediamen.He also demanded a comprehensive CBI inquiry into the illegal mining activities, prosecution of all state government officials who had bent rules to shower generosity onto the Reddy brothers,especially during former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s reign. He also wanted the recommendations of the Supreme Court-sponsored Central Empowered Committee to be enforced in to to,and a nationalisation of all mines.