By IANS,
New Delhi : The Indian government should impose a ban on exporting minerals overseas to tackle the menace of illegal mining, Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda said Saturday.
“I request the central government to ban export of minerals to foreign countries… considering the fact the deposits are limited and the future generation’s requirement should not be ignored… The export of minerals also promotes illegal mining,” Munda said while addressing a meeting of the National Development Council (NDC) here.
“We request the central government to set up a nuclear plant in Jharkhand, considering the fact uranium is found in a large scale in the state,” he added.
Munda also demanded a special status for Jharkhand due to its underdevelopment and presence of Maoists.
He also drew the attention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh towards allocation of coal blocks.
“Coal is found in many states, but the central government is allocating coal to companies only in Jharkhand… overlooking the impact of mining, like displacement, pollution hazards, financial implications and others,” he said.