Uproar over alleged mining scandal in Uttarakhand

The Uttarakhand Assembly was adjourned today amid uproarious scenes with the opposition members alleging that a private company has been given licence for mining at the eco-sensitive Bageshwar district nestling in the Himalayas. The members belonging to the main opposition Congress alleged that the licence for 14.5 sq km area in Kukroli in the district was given in gross violation of licensing as well as mining norms, which is banned in the Himalayan region. Led by State Congress President Yashpal Arya, the opposition members further alleged that such proposals by Haldwani-based Messrs Great Himalayan Minerals and Chemicals earlier had been rejected by previous governments.

In this regard, they raised slogans against the BJP government and demanded a CBI probe. "We demand a CBI probe into this scandal which is the biggest in the state," Congress MLA Tilak Raj Behad told reporters. The members also demanded a detailed discussion on the alleged scandal and began shouting in the house following which Speaker Harbans Kapoor adjourned the house for 15 minutes. Later, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prakash Pant said it was not a big issue of immediate importance and asserted that the opposition was wasting the Assembly's time.