Congress MP Deepender Hooda slams govt over Aravalli mining notification

Karnal (Haryana) [India], December 25 (ANI): Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda on Thursday criticised the Centre over the Aravalli mining issue, alleging that the government's recent notification offers nothing new and is aimed at facilitating mining through "backdoor channels".
Speaking to reporters in Karnal, Hooda said the Congress party has rejected the government's notification on the Aravalli range. "According to the notification, until further planning, no mining will be carried out. This is exactly what the Supreme Court has already said, so there is nothing new in it," he said.
The Congress MP accused the BJP of attempting to lease out the Aravalli hills to mining mafias. "The BJP is planning to lease out the Aravalli to mining mafias through backdoor channels. This notification is part of that design," Hooda alleged.
Reiterating his party's stand on environmental protection, Hooda said the Congress would continue to oppose any move that threatens the Aravalli range. "We will continue our fight to save the Aravalli," he asserted.
The Aravalli hills, one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, have long been at the centre of environmental concerns due to illegal mining and ecological degradation.
Earlier, the Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema also commented on the controversy surrounding mining in the Aravalli Hills, accusing the BJP of failing to protect the fragile ecosystem. "The BJP is trying to finish the Aravalli Hills. The Central Government issues many orders, but their implementation on the ground is weak," he claimed.
Cheema alleged that thousands of people are engaged in illegal mining in the region and said such activities must be stopped to protect the environment. "This environment has to be saved. It is the responsibility of the BJP to protect the country's environment," he said, alleging the existence of a mining mafia operating across states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana.
"The BJP is looking after all of them," Cheema claimed, calling for stricter enforcement and accountability to safeguard the Aravalli range.
Congress senior leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday countered Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav on the clarification on mining in the Aravalli range, raising more questions and doubts over the government's intentions.
This development follows Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav's clarification that only 0.19% of the 1.44 lakh sq km of the Aravalli hills will be allowed for mining. (ANI)