Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on Sunday announced that all cases filed by the state police against those protesting the tungsten mining project in Mellur, Madurai, have been withdrawn. "All four criminal cases, registered under three sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act 2023 against 11,608 protestors at the Tallakulam and Mellur police stations in Madurai, have been withdrawn today," the government stated.
The Central Government had issued an auction notice in November last year for tungsten mining in Nayakkarpatti, Mellur taluk, Madurai. The proposed project would have covered approximately 5,000 acres of land across more than 10 villages, including Aritapatti, Narasinghampatti, Kidaripatti, Vallalapati, and South Road. Thousands of residents from Mellur and Narasinghampatti organised protests in the Tallakulam area to oppose the project.
On January 23, the Central Government ordered the cancellation of the auction for the tungsten mining project. Subsequently, the Tamil Nadu government announced the withdrawal of cases against the protestors.
The protests centered on opposition to the Union government’s proposal to establish a tungsten mine near Aritapatti village in Mellur taluk, Madurai district. Chief Minister Stalin had written to the Prime Minister, emphasising that the state would not permit the implementation of this project. He urged the Union government to abandon the initiative immediately.
Additionally, on December 9, 2024, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly passed a special resolution unanimously, demanding the cancellation of the project. The Chief Minister assured that all police cases filed against public protestors in connection with the tungsten mining project would be dropped.
Earlier today, resolutions were passed during Gram Sabha meetings in over 35 village panchayats, including Chittampatti and Pudhu Thamaraipatti in Madurai East. These resolutions called for the Mellur area to be declared a protected agricultural zone. The Gram Sabha meetings are being held across villages on January 26, coinciding with Republic Day celebrations.
