The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday cancelled the conditional lease granted to the AP Mineral Development Corporation for mining of bauxite ore in 1,521 hectares in the tribal region of Visakhapatnam district.
The lease was originally granted when current Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddys father (late) Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was the CM of (then united) Andhra Pradesh in 2007 and 2008 despite strong protests from the tribal population in the Araku-Paderu Agency area.
"The conditional order granted in favour of APMDC is effaced in the eye of law and in the light of the recorded facts of impossibility of mining operations, and is to be revoked.
Also, the disability of APMDC in proceeding further in securing of compliances as indicated in the initial conditional grant order arose on account of impossibility of performance due to recurring acts of violence in the area because of opposition to the prospect of mining operations in tribal areas," state Mines Secretary
