Communist Party of Idia and the Telugu Desam parties on Monday forced repeated adjournment of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly demanding that the government constitute a House Committee to probe into the illegal mining of Barytes in Khammam. They alleged that the relative of former chief minister late YS Rajasekhara Reddy were given preferential treatment in this regard.
The oppsition MLAs not only rised their voice against the grnt of mining rights but stormed the Speaker's podium demanding constitution of the House Committee even as the government rejected the plea.
Nadendla Manohar, the Deputy spekaer who was in the chair, was frced to adjourn the House twice as the TDP members persisted with their demand.
K Sambasiva Rao, CPI MLA from Kothagudem, raised the issue of illegal mining of Barytes ore in Khamam district. The MLA it as a larger scandal than the illegal mining of iron ore in Obulapuram on the AP-Karnataka border.
"Illegal mining of the valuable Barytes ore is being carried out in 1.37 lakh acres and the former chief minister YSR's son-in-law Anil Kumar and brother-in-law Ravindranath Reddy are involved in it," Sambasiva Rao alleged.
Mining Minister B Srinivasa Reddy, who is also a close relative of YSR, refuted the allegation and said the mining activity was being carried out by state-owned AP Mineral Development Corporation.