The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up the Karnataka government over “laxity” in ascertaining the iron-ore reserves in the state and going ahead with the auctioning of “C”-category mines in the Bellary, Chitradurga and Tumakuru districts.
“Laxity has reached the optimum level. Karnataka does not know the extent of mineral reserves in the state. Nature has been plundered, and you don't know the total reserve of iron ore,” a bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and N V Ramana wondered as senior advocate Raju Ramachandran could not respond to the pointed query from the court.
The court directed the state government to inform it on or before April 10 about the
mineral reserve position in nine mining leases, apart from the six mining leases of “C” category, for which the process of auction has started.
Ramachandran submitted that the state government has identified 15 mines out of the 51 cancelled “C”-category mines for auction. The court fixed the matter for further consideration on April 21.
The state government, in compliance with the apex court order, had in September 2013 cancelled 51 “C”-category mining leases. The Central Empowered Committee had put the 51 leases in the “C” category in view of gross illegalities.
Senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing as amicus curiae, urged the court to ensure that the steel and associated industries, including pelletisation plants, located outside the state of Karnataka also be made eligible to participate in the auction of “C”-category mining leases as end-users.
The state government promulgated an ordinance in January wherein only units located within Karnataka were allowed to participate in the auction process.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for NGO Samaj Parivartan Samudaya, urged the court to ensure that the previous owners of “C”-category mining leases were not allowed to participate in the auction.
Meanwhile, the court also put 44 review petitions for consideration on April 21.
The petitions, challenging the categorisation of mining leases, were allowed to be heard in open court by a bench presided over by Chief Justice H L Dattu.
The court had in 2012 permitted resumption of mining operations in “A” and “B”-category mining leases subject to certain conditions, including payment of compensation for areas found to be under illegal mining pits.
Source: Deccan Herald