VISAKHAPATNAM: The people interaction session on the proposed bauxite mining in tribal areas of Visakhapatnam district, convened at the Circuit House here on Thursday, turned out to be a ‘people-less’ session.An expert committee, appointed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, led by SC Kala to record the voice of tribals, could meet only a few persons and closed the session.In view of the serious protests from people and opposition parties, a large number of police were deployed in and around the Circuit House where the session was held.Utter chaos prevailed even before the public interaction began to elicit opinions.Ugly scenes were witnessed and leaders and activists of CPM and CPI were arrested by the police when they staged a protest and gheraoed APMDC managing director Mukhesh Kumar Meena at the main gate.The agitators were dragged away by the police.About 70 of them, including CPM leader M Suryanarayana and CPI district secretary JV Satyanarayana Murthy were taken into custody when they tried to block the vehicles of officials.Right from the morning, the police controlled the groups of agitators on the roads leads to the Circuit House.Left party cadres demanded that Kala should go back without conducting the session.Amid tight police security, the public interaction started inside the Circuit House. However, TDP, BJP, CPI and CPM activists protested against it and a majority of the tribals said they opposed the mining.While most of the tribals boycotted the interaction, only a few from Araku, Anantagiri, GK Veedhi and Chintapalle mandals submitted their representations.They asked Kala and others about employment opportunities and guarantees for tribals if mining is taken up in their lands.A few days ago, the district administration told the media that all political parties, NGOs and tribals could express their opinions at the interaction, but police allowed only a few persons to participate.The public interaction concluded with only a few representations from political parties and tribals.
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