Lokesh replies strong to Pawan over Vanthada mines

AP IT and Panchayat Raj Minister Nara Lokesh has refuted the allegations made by Jana Sena president Pawan Kalyan on Vanthada mines and advised the actor-turned-politician to get his facts right before making such charges.On Monday, Kalyan took to Twitter holding CM N Chandrababu Naidu and Lokesh responsible for “unchecked mining” in Vanthada of East Godavari district. A day before that, Kalyan visited Vanthada mines.

Continuing to lambast the Jana Sena chief on his Twitter account, Lokesh said an 18-page report of the East Godavari district joint collector over Vanthada mines was posted on Twitter as evidence by Kalyan. It states the lease for the mines was allotted in 2004, 2007 and 2008, all during former CM YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s regime, while the joint collector’s report was of 2010, Lokesh said. In 2012, following complaints, an inquiry was conducted into the mines and based on its report, the TDP government cancelled the lease, Lokesh said.

He advised Kalyan to look into the GO 121 issued by the Industries department in 2015. “As a responsible leader of a political party, it is better to get the facts right before making any allegation,” he said.

Meanwhile,  Kalyan released the letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking cyclone Titli relief, in reply to Naidu’s comment that Kalyan was making baseless comments instead of demanding cyclone relief from the Centre.