CONTROVERSY surrounds the illegal mining for gems and other precious stonesthat has been reportedly going on inVishakhapatnam district of AndhraPradesh. According to RenukaChowdhury, a mem@er of Parliament,the mining scandal - involving nearlyRs 700 crore and jeopardising the livesof the local tribals - has taken placewith the connivance of the state government.
The minister for environment andforests Kamal Nath has stated that ahigh-level team will investigate to checkif there was'any violation of the ForestConservation Act in the reserved forestsin and around Vishakhapatnam. Whilea total of 14 cases of mining werebooked by the state forest departmentand another 2 by the police, all thesewere compounded by the state government. The environment ministry is nowseeking clarifications from the state forthe withdrawal of the cases.