By IANS
New Delhi : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Saturday came out against the new mining policy, saying unrestricted export of iron ore and other minerals will cause grave national damage.
"Unrestricted export of iron ore will be allowed (in the new policy). This would be a short sighted and harmful policy. Indiscriminate exports of iron ore and other mineral resources will denude India of its natural resources," a party statement said.
The CPI-M asked the government not to approve the mining policy prepared by a Group of Ministers or GoM but to place it before parliament for further discussions.
The CPI-M also sought a debate in parliament over the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) act.
"The issues concern protecting the interests of farmers, food security, changing the Land Acquisition Act, setting a proper ceiling on land allotted for different categories of SEZs, ending unjustifiable tax sops and protecting the interests of labour within SEZs," the politburo statement said.
A parliamentary panel that submitted a report on the SEZ act Friday expressed concern that giving away huge chunks of cultivable land for SEZs and other non-agriculture projects would have a huge impact on the nation's food security.