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Monday, September 3, 2012

mining leases in Bellary district and two in Chitradurga districtAmong the 18 “Category A” mining leases M/s. R. Parveen Chandra (ML No.2294) is cited as an accused in a criminal case registered as PCR No.4/2011, re-numbered as Special CC 171/2011. Needless to say that the investigation of the case shall proceed in accordance with law and the permission for resumption of mining operations shall have no effect on the pending investigation.


NON-REPORTABLE
                        IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
                         CIVIL ORIGINAL JURISDICTION
                              I.A. NO…………/2012
                                     IN
                         W.P. (CIVIL) NO.562 OF 2009
      SAMAJ PARIVARTANA
      SAMUDAYA & ORS.                   … PETITIONERS


                             Versus
      STATE OF KARNATAKA & ORS.         … RESPONDENTS


      [REGARDING: CEC REPORT DATED  27.04.2012  AND  CEC  REGARDING  R  &  R
      SCHEME]




                                    WITH


      I.A. NOS.68 OF 2012 AND 103 OF 2012 IN W.P. (CIVIL) NO.562 OF 2009


                                     AND


      [REPORT DATED 29TH AUGUST, 2012 OF THE CEC REGARDING IMPLEMENTATION OF
      THE R&R PLANS, RESUMPTION OF MINING OPERATIONS IN “CATEGORY-A”  MINING
      LEASES AND ASSOCIATED ISSUES]










                                  O R D E R


      Aftab Alam,J.


      1.    The Central Empowered Committee has  submitted  a  report  dated
      August  29,  2012  regarding  implementation  of  the  R  &  R  Plans,
      resumption of mining operations in  “Category  A”  mining  leases  and
      issues incidental thereto.


      2.     Heard   Mr.   Shyam   Divan,   the   learned   Amicus   Curiae,
      Mr. Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the applicant  in  I.A.  No.68  of
      2012, Mr. Krishnan Venugopal appearing for M/s.  R.  Parveen  Chandra,
      Mr. C.U. Singh, learned senior counsel appearing for  the  Association
      of Indian Mini Blast Furnaces and other learned counsel.


      3.    The recommendations made in the  aforesaid  report  of  the  CEC
      dated August 29, 2012 are accepted subject to  any  modification  that
      the Court may feel necessary to make later on.


      4.     At Annexure R-1 to the report, there is a list of 16  “Category
      A” mining leases in Bellary district and two  in Chitradurga  district
      in respect of which the R & R Plans have been approved. One of the  18
      “Category A” mines, namely, MEL (ML-2346)  (103.81  ha)  has  all  the
      statutory sanctions, permissions and approvals in place and  the  rest
      of the 17 mining leases, according to the CEC, are also likely to  get
      all the statutory sanctions, permissions and approvals  within  a  few
      months as indicated in the table at pages 15 and 16 of the report.  It
      is also stated in the report that the R & R Plan in respect of the  18
      “Category A” mines has been duly approved and  its  implementation  on
      the ground has also commenced.


      5.    In light of the recommendation of the CEC, the  ban  imposed  on
      mining operations in all  the  mining  leases  (excepting  two  mining
      leases of  M/s. NMDC Ltd.) in the districts  of  Bellary,  Tumkur  and
      Chitradurga by orders dated July 29 and August 26, 2011 is  lifted  in
      respect of the 18 “Category A” mines as enumerated in Annexure R-1  to
      the report.  Mining operations in those 18 “Category A”  may  commence
      to the extent of the permissible annual production  as  determined  by
      the CEC and as indicated in the table at page Nos.15  and  16  of  the
      report.  The commencement of the mining operations  shall  be  subject
      to:
      (I)   compliance with all the statutory requirements;
      (II)  the full satisfaction of the Monitoring Committee, expressed  in
      writing, that steps for implementation of  the  R  &  R  Plan  in  the
      leasehold area are proceeding effectively and meaningfully, and
      (III)       a written undertaking by the leaseholders that they  would
      fully abide by the Supplementary Environment Management Plan (SEMP) as
      applicable  to  the  leasehold  area  and  shall  also  abide  by  the
      Comprehensive Environment Plan for Mining Impact  Zone  (CEPMIZ)  that
      may be formulated later on and comply with any liabilities,  financial
      or otherwise, that may arise against them under the CEPMIZ.
      (IV)  The CEC shall, upon inspection, submit a report  to  this  Court
      that any or all the stated 18 “Category  A”  mine  owners  have  fully
      satisfied  the  above-mentioned  conditions.   Further,  it  shall  be
      reported that the mining activity is being carried on strictly  within
      the specified parameters and without any violation.
            Such report should  be  filed  within  one  month  of  leave  to
      commence mining activity by the concerned leaseholder.


      6.    It is made clear that no  mining  operation  under  any  of  the
      mining leases shall take place unless  all  the  statutory  sanctions,
      permissions  and  approvals  are  subsisting.   In  case,  after   the
      resumption of mining operations in terms of this order  any  statutory
      sanction, permission or approval is lapsed or is not renewed in  time,
      the  mining  operations  would  remain  stopped  until  the   required
      statutory sanction, permission or approval is duly granted.


      7.    Similarly, in case the Monitoring Committee finds any  slackness
      in the implementation of the R & R Plan  in  leasehold  area  under  a
      mining lease, the Monitoring Committee shall apprise the CEC  in  that
      regard and it would be open to the CEC to  direct  suspension  of  the
      mining operations under the concerned mining lease and to  report  the
      matter to this Court.


      8.    Among the 18 “Category A” mines, there are six mining leases  to
      which the general  directions  given  above  shall  apply  subject  to
      further conditions as indicated below.


      8(i). In the case of mining lease, namely, RBSSN (ML-2576) (31.56 ha),
      mining operations are stopped in terms of the orders  passed  by  this
      Court in Jambunathanahalli Temple Case.  Further, in the case of  this
      mining lease, if the CEC wishes to  re-examine  whether  it  falls  in
      “Category A” or any other category, the directions given above in this
      order shall apply in the case of this  mining  lease  subject  to  its
      retaining its position in “Category A”  and  further  subject  to  any
      orders passed by this Court in Jambunathanahalli Temple Case.


      8(ii).       In  the  case  of  three  other  mining  leases,  namely,
      Kariganur  Minerals  (ML-2075/1799)  (199.43  ha),   RBSSN   (ML-2524)
      (76.09), RBSSN Beneficiation Plant, mining operations are  stopped  in
      terms of an order passed by this  Court  in  Jambunathanahalli  Temple
      Case. Therefore, the above  directions  shall  apply  to  these  three
      mining leases subject to the further orders passed by  this  Court  in
      Jambunathanahalli Temple Case.


      8(iii).     In mining lease, namely, RMML (Dalmia) (ML-2010) (331.ha),
      an order to maintain status quo has  been  passed  by  this  Court  in
      SLP(C) No.32226/2009.  Therefore, the above directions shall apply  to
      this mining lease subject to any further order passed by this Court in
      SLP(C) No.32226/2009.


      8(iv).      In  mining  lease,  namely,  MML-Timmappanagudi  (ML-2605)
      (136.97 ha), the general directions given above, shall  apply  subject
      to the leaseholder abiding by the conditions  stipulated  in  the  CEC
      report, as indicated in the table at page 40 of the report.


      9.    Among the 18 “Category A” mining leases M/s. R. Parveen  Chandra
      (ML No.2294) is cited as an accused in a criminal case  registered  as
      PCR No.4/2011, re-numbered as Special CC 171/2011.   Needless  to  say
      that the investigation of the case shall proceed  in  accordance  with
      law and the permission for resumption of mining operations shall  have
      no effect on the pending investigation.


      9(i). It is made clear that the permission for  resumption  of  mining
      operations shall not come in the way, in any manner whatsoever, in any
      investigation, inquiry or proceedings that may be pending against  any
      of the 18  mining  leases  covered  by  this  order  or  that  may  be
      instituted  against  any  one  of  them  in  future.   The  report  of
      investigation, inquiry or proceeding in  respect  of  any  of  the  18
      leases should also be submitted before this Court.


      10.   The interlocutory applications relating to  the  opening  up  of
      “Category A” mines are disposed of.


      11.   Put up the report  of  the  Central  Empowered  Committee  dated
      February 3,  2012  at  an  early  date  to  expedite  framing  of  the
      Comprehensive Environment Plan for  Mining  Impact  Zone  and  matters
      related thereto.





                       ………..….………………….J.
                                   (Aftab Alam)






                                   .……………………………..J.
                                   (K.S. Radhakrishnan)






                                   ………………………………J.
                                   (Swatanter Kumar)
      New Delhi;
      September 3, 2012.