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SC to examine CEC report on illegal mining in K'ataka nxt wk

Last Updated 08 April 2011, 14:09 IST

A special forest bench headed by Chief Justice SH Kapadia today asked the CEC to submit its report on April 15 over illegal mining in Bellary and other forest areas of Karnataka.

Senior advocate Harish Salve appearing for the CEC informed the apex court that report of the Lokayukta of the state was in conformity with the findings of the high-powered panel.

He further submitted that the matter required an urgent hearing as "it was extremely necessary and needs some priority".

Salve further said, "there should be suspension of the mining till the whole thing is over."
On it, the special bench, which includes Justices Aftab Alam and K S Radhakrishnan, said, "you first submit the report, then we would issue notices and would see it."

Salve further informed the bench that the state government was very cooperative to the CEC in this issue.

Earlier, the apex court had in February directed CEC to conduct probe over allegations of illegal mining in the state and submit a report within six weeks.

The court's direction came after a petition filed by an NGO submitted that as per Karnataka Lokayukta report, mining activities were being carried not only illegally but also into the areas categorised as forest land.

Earlier, the bench had directed the CEC to probe the Andhra Pradesh side of the Bellary region.

NGO Samaj Parivartan Samudaya alleged that the respective state governments in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh had failed to stop the rampant illegal mining of iron ore, which adversely affected the livelihood of local people, especially the rural poor.

It alleged that illegal mining had resulted in "an encroachment of 1,114.8 hectares of forest land in Karnataka".

It further said, "the Union of India through both the Ministry of Environment and Forest and the Ministry of Mines has not exercised enough checks and balances to curtail illegal mining in the two states."

The NGO further submitted that the Lokayukta report had highlighted that forest area to the extent over 2,000 sq kms was available for mining by private entities despite specific objections raised by the Forest Department.


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(Published 08 April 2011, 14:09 IST)

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