VISAKHAPATNAM: In anticipation of widespread protests from tribals against the three-day visit of 125 first-time MLAs to agency areas from Monday, police are gearing up to arrest protesters even before the visit to preempt any untoward incident.Though the tribals have not given any bandh call, security has been beefed up at all sensitive places to scuttle any protests by tribals against the proposed bauxite mining. A few days back, tribals under the banner of Girijana Sangham had warned that MLAs will have a tough time if the tribal welfare minister, P Balaraju, who is the chairman of the Tribal Advisory Committee, fails to pass a resolution against bauxite mining.Sources said contract tribals employees of the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation are planning to stage protests during visit of the MLAs, demanding regularisation of their posts.Tribals plan to take out rallies demanding cancellation of bauxite mining leases, sources added. Girijana Sangham leaders said the Congress government is pushing for laterite and bauxite mining in the district ignoring the interests of tribals.M Suryanarayana, a member of the CPM district committee said police are yet to withdraw cases against 30 tribal youth, who stood near Jerrela bauxite deposits with arrows and bows in protest against the visit of the fourmember committee appointed by the ministry of environment and forests in December.The four-member expert committee had made only an aerial survey of the mining areas, following blocking of all roads and bandh by tribals.
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