The government has cancelled the auction of Tamil Nadu's Nayakkarpatti tungsten mineral block, located near the Arittapatti Biodiversity site and several cultural heritage sites.

The decision follows a request from the local Ambalakarars community, who met with Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy on January 22, urging the cancellation due to the area's environmental and cultural significance.

After discussions, the Union minister confirmed the government's commitment to biodiversity heritage protection and decided to annul the auction.

The Nayakkarpatti block, covering over 20.16 sq km, was initially proposed for auction in February of the previous year. Despite a lack of opposition from the state government during the auction process, the final decision was made following consultations with local stakeholders.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin had earlier urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in cancelling the auction due to the area's significance.