Supreme Court appoints committee to fix boundaries for leased areas on Andhra Pradesh-Karnataka border

New Delhi: The Supreme Court recently set up a committee headed by former judge Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia to fix boundaries of leased areas and reserved forest areas on the borders of Andhra Pradesh (AP) and Karnataka, so as to ascertain extent of illegal encroachment, illegal mining & other unauthorized activities.

A bench of Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and N V Anjaria agreed to a suggestion by senior advocate Sidharth Luthra on behalf of AP government. The court asked the panel to submit its report in 3 months.

Luthra placed on record a communication from commissioner & director of mines & geology of AP, of Sept 18.

“A perusal of the said communication reveals that after considering various orders passed by this court and note of amicus curiae of Aug 20, 2022, the state government has taken a decision to request this court to constitute a committee so as to fix boundaries of leased areas and reserved forest areas so as to ascertain extent of illegal encroachment, extent of illegal mining and other unauthorized activities,’’ the bench said.

The respondents Obulapuram Mining Company and others opposed the submission.

They said what was agreed upon was only demarcation of lease hold areas. They said now the state government was attempting to go beyond what was agreed upon earlier. Karnataka was represented by Additional Advocate General Nishanth Patil and advocate D L Chidananda.

“We do not propose to go into that controversy between the state and respondents. When the matter will be heard on merits, the said contentions can be raised and the same will be considered on its own merit. However, at the moment, we are inclined to accept the suggestion of the petitioner and therefore, we appoint a committee,” the bench said.

The committee will also comprise a member of the central empowered committee, secretary, department of industries and commerce (mines), government of AP or his nominee, secretary from department of environment, forest, science and technology, or his nominee, a nominee of the union ministry of environment, forest and climate change and secretary, department of revenue of AP or his nominee.

The court said the committee, while finalising its report, would hear all concerned parties, including respondents.