TDP president and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday urged the Chief Secretary of AP to take urgent steps to stop illegal mining in Kuppam assembly constituency in Chittoor district.

In a letter to the Chief Secretary here, Naidu said illegal mining was going on in spite of several representations and also a petition in the National Green Tribunal (NGT-South), Chennai. The unlawful mining was continuing at Gutharlapalli village in Gudupalle mandal.

The TDP chief expressed concern over RR granites illegal mining and smuggling of large granite blocks. The granite mafia activities continued unabated in Kuppam assembly constituency. “In this regard, I have personally visited the illegal mining sites and brought the same to your attention to immediately stop illegal mining not only in Kuppam constituency, but also across the State of Andhra Pradesh.”

Chandrababu Naidu said that however, illegal mining of granite continued in collaboration with a section of mining and revenue officials at the behest of the ruling YSRCP leaders. Such indiscriminate mining of our resources will not only harm our pristine ecological system but will become a bane to our future generations.

Naidu said that the complacency and lethargy shown by the Government has only resulted in plundering of our natural resources. On 30th May 2022, the mining officials had seized around 10 trucks in Gutharlapalli village in Gudupalle mandal. Those trucks were carrying heavy granite blocks that were mined illegally and being transported illegally to other places.