JP Welcomes Iron Ore Mine Allotment

"Although belated, the Andhra Pradesh government's decision to allocate 5,342 hectares of iron ore mines in Bayyaram and other places to Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) is welcome," said Lok Satta Party national President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan today.

In a media statement, JP said he wants the state government to acquire land in and around Ramayapatnam in Prakasam district for the major port-cum-shipyard proposed by the union government.

JP recalled that when he met the VSP management in the wake of an industrial accident, it had sought the allocation of iron ore mines for captive mining with a view to improving production and profitability and creating more jobs.

"Although long overdue, the government's decision to allocate iron ore mines to VSP is most welcome," he said.

JP said that the state government should acquire land in and around Ramayapatnam in Prakasam district for the port-cum-shipyard proposed by the union government in the context of the Indian Navy taking over Hindustan Shipyard at Visakhapatnam.

"It has not materialized so far, because the state government had earmarked rights over 400 km of coastline to private port companies. The Lok Satta Party had exposed the irregularities in agreements with private port companies in the Assembly on March 8, 2011," he said.

JP said that the port-cum-shipyard would attract investments of up to Rs. 20,000 crore in course of time. and contribute to the economic development of south coastal Andhra Pradesh.

He also demanded that the state government scrap the irregular agreements with private port companies and allocate land for the proposed major port-cum-shipyard.

He welcomed the Union Law Ministry's proposal to constitute a Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC).

"A panel of three eminent jurists - Justices M N Venkatachalaiah, J S Varma and V R Krishna Iyer - constituted by the Lok Satta had endorsed the proposal. There is also a broad political consensus on the proposal. A commission comprising representatives of the government, opposition, judges and jurists should be entrusted with the job of appointment of judges," he said.

JP said that the judiciary cannot appoint itself, and called for building public opinion to ensure that "the JAC is not sacrificed at the altar of partisan politics". (INN)