<p>The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Survey of India (SOI) to undertake a boundary determination exercise in cooperation with Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Central government authorities in the Bellary-Hospet region, which is rich in iron ore.<br /><br /></p>.<p>A three-judge green bench presided over by Justice A K Patnaik directed the SOI to submit its report in six weeks.<br /><br />The bench, also comprising justices S S Nijjar and F M I Kalifullah, asked the chief secretaries of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and the Ministry of Environment and Forest to extend all cooperation to the authorities for the purpose.<br /><br />Senior advocate Krishnan Venugopal, appearing for one of the lessees, submitted that inter-state boundary was to be determined after the SOI survey, in accordance with the apex court’s April 18 order. It was necessary to resolve disputes among leaseholders, he pointed out.<br /><br />Taking a note of his submission, the court ordered completion of the work.<br />The apex court had lifted an embargo on grant of fresh leases for iron ore mines in Karnataka’s Bellary, Chitradurga and Tumkur districts, while allowing reopening of A and B category mines.<br /><br />It had also accepted a Central Empowered Committee’s recommendation cancelling leases of 49 C category iron ore mines for “playing havoc with the national economy.”</p>
<p>The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Survey of India (SOI) to undertake a boundary determination exercise in cooperation with Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Central government authorities in the Bellary-Hospet region, which is rich in iron ore.<br /><br /></p>.<p>A three-judge green bench presided over by Justice A K Patnaik directed the SOI to submit its report in six weeks.<br /><br />The bench, also comprising justices S S Nijjar and F M I Kalifullah, asked the chief secretaries of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and the Ministry of Environment and Forest to extend all cooperation to the authorities for the purpose.<br /><br />Senior advocate Krishnan Venugopal, appearing for one of the lessees, submitted that inter-state boundary was to be determined after the SOI survey, in accordance with the apex court’s April 18 order. It was necessary to resolve disputes among leaseholders, he pointed out.<br /><br />Taking a note of his submission, the court ordered completion of the work.<br />The apex court had lifted an embargo on grant of fresh leases for iron ore mines in Karnataka’s Bellary, Chitradurga and Tumkur districts, while allowing reopening of A and B category mines.<br /><br />It had also accepted a Central Empowered Committee’s recommendation cancelling leases of 49 C category iron ore mines for “playing havoc with the national economy.”</p>
