Why TN is objecting to Centre's grant of tungsten mining licence

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin dashed off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi protesting against awarding the tungsten mining rights to Vedanta-owned company Hindustan Zinc Limited. He urged PM Modi to cancel the award and instruct the Union Ministry of Mines to desist from floating any bids for mining without the consent of the concerned state government, making it another flashpoint between the DMK-led TN government and the Centre.

Locals in the area in Madurai also staged protests against the mining for tungsten in an ecologically sensitive zone.

Notably, Stalin is also planning to pass a resolution in the TN assembly on December 9 to urge the government to cancel the rights awarded to Hindustan Zinc Ltd to mine tungsten in Madurai district.

So, why is TN coming down heavily on the Union government for awarding the licence for tungsten mining to Vedanta in Madurai district?

What did the Union government auction and who won it?

The Union ministry of mines auctioned Nayakkarpatti Tungsten block (a critical and strategic mineral) under Tranche IV on November 7 and Hindustan Zinc Limited was the preferred bidder. The above tungsten block comprises areas such as Kavattayampatty, Ettimangalam, A. Vellalapatti, Arittapatti, Kidaripatty and Narasingampatti villages in Melur taluk in Madurai district.

Also watch: TN tungsten mining: Why this project has sparked such widespread opposition

On what grounds did TN object? 

One of the villages in this block in Madurai, Arittapatti happens to be a notified bio-diversity heritage site. It is famous for its archaeological monuments including 2,200 year old rock-cut cave temples, sculptures, Jain symbols, Tamil Brahmi Scripts and Pancha Pandavar stone beds. In his letter to PM Modi, Stalin pointed out that any mining activity will cause irreparable damage to these precious sites.

Arittapatti is also famous for being TN's first biodiversity heritage site. The hillocks in Arittapatti village is full of biological and historical importance and has a rich avian life. There are around 250 bird species to be found here, including three Raptor species, the Laggar falcon, Shaheen falcon, and Bonelli's Eagle.

What's another reason cited by TN?

Stalin also emphasised that commercial mining in such densely populated villages will affect the people in these villages.

“This has caused immense anguish to the people, who fear that their livelihood may be lost forever. Hence, the Tamil Nadu government will never allow any such mining to be undertaken in these areas,” underscored Stalin.

Did TN give permission to Union government for the auction earlier?

According to the TN government, they have not given permission for the auction.

The minister for water resources Duraimurugan recently told the media the Union government and the Opposition parties were spreading "disinformation" that the state government had given its nod for awarding tungsten mining rights to a private company in Madurai district.

However, the TN government said the Union government had only sought details about the lands in Melur area in Madurai, to which, the state government had told them that the zone falls within the bio-diversity heritage site.

The Union government completely disregarded their opposition to the auctioning of critical mineral blocks, specifically tungsten, in the Melur taluk of Madurai, claimed Duraimurugan.

Moreover, the Union govt has also given wrong information that it took the inputs from the state govt before granting the licence, added the minister. 

Also read: States set to walk thin line between raising revenues and overburdening mining industry

What was the Union government's reaction?

The Union government maintained that they had taken inputs from the state government before the block was taken up for auction.

Moreover, out of the 20.16 sq km, only 1.93 sq km within Arittaptti and Meenakshipuram villages has been notified as a biodiversity heritage site, it said.

The Union government further clarified that the state government did not protest when the auction was proposed back in February. The auction finally happened only in November.

Nor did the state government request the Central government to drop the block from auction, the Union ministry said.

Also, they pointed out that the block has been auctioned as a composite licence block, which means the block has been partially explored and the successful bidder will have to carry out exploration in the block before the mining lease is granted.

Moreover, the Union ministry of environment has to give the forest and environment clearance. If they do not agree it will not be included in the mining lease area, said the Union government.

Did TN government object to policy amendments in critical mineral auctioning too?

The TN government claimed that it had earlier objected to the Union government making some policy amendments to auctioning of critical minerals.

Last year, the TN government alleged that it wrote to Union mines minister Pralhad Joshi in October 2023, saying that the state government opposed these policy tweaks.

The Union minister, however, rejected their opposition in a letter on November 2, 2023, stating that auction was being done only after making necessary amendments and the state governments should cooperate with the policy considering "national requirements".

Further, the letter by the Union minister of parliamentary affairs, coal and mines said that the auction of critical minerals by the ministry of mines cannot be withheld, "in the larger interests of the country".