The Supreme Court on Thursday proposed to appoint former Supreme Court Judge Justice B Sudershan Reddy as the oversight authority for utilisation of Rs 24,000 crore as Special Purpose Vehicle under the Comprehensive Environmental Plan for Mining Impact Zone (CEPMIZ) with regard to mining operations in Karnataka.
A bench of Chief Justice N V Ramana, Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli asked the Karnataka government counsel to prepare a draft order in this regard and place it before the court.
The state government sought urgent implementation of CEPMIZ and for release of funds from the Special Purpose Vehicle.
The plan included eco-restoration, socioeconomic development and railway backbone infrastructure for the mining impact zones in Karnataka including the districts of Ballari, Chitradurga and Tumakuru.
The state government agreed to the proposal for appointment of the oversight committee but also requested for nomination of a retired bureaucrat to it.
Notably, the court had in October 2018 appointed former SC judge Justice A K Patnaik as an oversight authority to oversee the work and progress carried out by the Special Purpose Vehicle in Odisha.
The CEC had recommended an oversight authority to monitor the implementation of the CEPMIZ, as was done in case of Odishamining.
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