After the Centre removed Tamil Nadu delta regions from coal blocks auctioning, state BJP president K Annamalai thanked the Centre for heeding to TN BJP's request.
In a tweet, Annamalai said, "We thank our Hon PM Thiru @narendramodi avl & Hon Minister Thiru @JoshiPralhad avl for considering our request and removing the coal blocks in TN’s Delta region from the coal auction list. #Vanakkam_Modi."
On Thursday, Union Minister of Coal and Mines Prahlad Joshi said, ".@BJP4TamilNadu Pres. @annamalai_k rushed to call upon me in Bengaluru with request to exclude 3 Lignite mines from auctions in 7th tranche."
"In spirit of cooperative federalism & keeping in mind interest of people of TN, I have directed to exclude them from auction," he said.
The three blocks are located in Michaelpatti in Udayarpalayam taluk of Ariyalur district, East of Sethiathope in Bhuvanagiri taluk of Cuddalore district, and Vadaseri in Orathanadu taluk of Thanjavur district.
A row had erupted over the inclusion of the state's fertile Cauvery delta regions for the coal block auctioning, with Chief Minister M K Stalin asserting in the state Assembly that his government will never allow coal mining in the delta region. He wrote that the delta region is protected under the Tamil Nadu Protected Agriculture Zone Development Act of 2020.
"Under Section 4 (1) of the Act, no person shall undertake any new project or new activity specified in the second schedule in the protected agricultural zone," he said.
Earlier, environmental activist said, the mining project would lead to desertification and displace people.
(With agency inputs)