Nagercoil, Sept 13: The Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) has expressed its strong condemnation of the Central Government for amending the rules regarding mineral extraction. According to a statement released by Maria Jennifer, the coordinator of the NTK Women's Wing, the Central Government has amended rules stating that public consultation meetings are no longer required to obtain environmental clearance for establishing mines to extract essential minerals. This amendment is described as a blatant anti-democratic act.

A few months ago, when IREL attempted to expand beach sand mining in Kanyakumari district, a public hearing was announced. At that time, NTK raised awareness among the public, which led to the government indefinitely postponing the meeting due to public pressure. In this context, the new announcement by the BJP-led Central Government aims to block the path for citizens to protect their rights through democratic means. Through this amendment, environmental clearances for atomic mineral mines will be granted without public input. The statement concluded by urging the Tamil Nadu government to take immediate action against this move rather than being a silent spectator.