Illegal mining serious menace in number of states: Sonia

New Delhi, Aug 19 (PTI) Congress President Sonia
Gandhi on Thursday said illegal mining has emerged as the
"most serious menace" in a number of states affected by tribal
deprivation and Left wing extremist violence.
She maintained that dealing with the Naxalite
challenge will call for fundamental innovations in the manner
in which the mineral resources are exploited and forests are
managed.
Addressing the meeting of the Congress Parliamentary
Party, she said, Lok Sabha (Lower House of Indian Parliament)
debated illegal mining and "this has emerged as a most serious
menace in a number of states with profound political, economic
and social implications".
She said the government was taking a number of
initiatives like setting up of a Commission of enquiry and
a mining regulatory authority.
"What is most worrying is the high degree of
convergence between areas that are mineral and forest-rich and
areas that are the arenas of tribal deprivation and for
Left-wing extremist violence," she said, adding, "protecting
the rights of tribals and ensuring their livelihood are
central to bringing about an end to their exploitation and
sense of alienation".
Referring to the Prime Minister terming the problem of
Naxalism as a serious challenge, Gandhi said dealing with them
"will call for fundamental innovations in the manner in which
our mineral resources are exploited and our forests managed".
On the Bhopal gas tragedy, Gandhi acknowledged that
there have been inadequacies in how successive governments
have dealt with the calamity. "But we cannot remain prisoners
of the past. We must look ahead and answer the question - what
can we do now? Rather than what could we have done in the
past?" she said.
Gandhi said the Group of Ministers (GoM) has prepared
a detailed agenda for action, compensation has been increased,
medical facilities are being strengthened, judicial decisions
are being reopened, waste disposal, decontamination and
remediation activities are being finalised.
"Not a single victim should be denied justice. Equally
important is the necessity to put systems in place that will
ensure than no Bhopal-type man made catastrophe repeats
itself," she said.
Referring to price rise in her speech and the adoption
of a resolution to contain inflation in both the Houses of
Parliament, Gandhi said controlling it remains the top
priority.
"Sometimes, there is no simply no option as in the
case of petroleum products some weeks ago. Even so, a constant
vigil has to be maintained. The cooperation of the state
governments is essential," she said.
Gandhi said the prime minister has spoken of the need
to bring about reforms in the management of our food economy
and the National Advisory Council has taken up the subject and
steps are being taken to fulfill the part's manifesto pledge
on food security. PTI