Illegal Mining Must Be Stopped, Says Chinta Mohan at Nellore Protest

The Congress party held a protest on Tuesday in front of the Nellore district Collector’s office against alleged illegal mining activities in the state. Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Chinta Mohan participated in the demonstration and sharply criticized the ruling coalition government, accusing it of widespread corruption and administrative failure.

Speaking at the protest, he alleged that illegal mining operations were flourishing across the state with estimated irregularities running into nearly ₹1,000 crore annually . He further claimed that large-scale unauthorized extraction of silica in Gudur , quartz in Venkatagiri , and sand in Satyavedu constituency was continuing unchecked.

Chinta Mohan alleged that such activities could not happen without the involvement or support of officials in the district administration and police department. He also accused the government of favoritism, stating that natural resources were being controlled by a select group of individuals.

Demanding reforms, he urged that silica and quartz mining leases be allotted to unemployed youth from SC and OBC communities to generate employment opportunities.

He also raised concerns over government employees’ issues, noting that the Pay Revision Commission (PRC) had been pending for eight years, affecting nearly six lakh employees . He demanded that the government constitute a special committee within ten days to address their grievances.

On the development of the state capital, he criticized the progress of Amaravati, warning that it risked stagnation if proper planning was not implemented. He also drew a comparison with the stalled Mannavaram BHEL project , cautioning against repeating past failures.

District Congress leaders and a large number of party workers took part in the protest.