Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the government is not taking a soft approach on the iron ore mining issue at Chakkittappara. Chandy said that the guilty will be punished. Following the directive by the industries department, the permits have been cancelled.

The Industries Dept is examining if a probe is needed or not. After that, a discussion in the UDF will decide what kind of action is needed, the chief minister said. Chandy was speaking to mediapersons in New Delhi where he had gone to take part in the election campaign.

Chandy said the decision was taken in the light of the allegations as well as the federal government order banning mining in the area designated as ecologically sensitive in the Kasturirangan report on Western Ghats.

Various environmentalists and political leaders were against mining activities and the Industries dept issued a directive to cancel licenses