SC allows 100 iron-ore mines to resume work in Karnataka

SC allows 100 iron-ore mines to resume work in KarnatakaThe Supreme Court of India has allowed around 100 iron-ore mines to resume operations in the southern state of Karnataka after recommendations by a Central Empowered Committee (CEC) called for allowing firms with smaller illegalities to resume operations.

These firms were restricted from carrying out operations after irregularities were recorded by the authorities. The apex court has also cancelled the 49 leases in mines where maximum illegalities were recorded in Bellary, Tumkur and Chitradurga districts of the state. The court accepted majority of the recommendations made by the CEC since July 2011 on the regulation of the mining industry in the state.

The CEC had divided the mines in the area in three categories namely, A, B and C. Firms under the A categories recorded no irregularities, B recorded lesser illegalities and C were those that recorded maximum illegalities. The firms under category B will now be allowed to resume operations and the court also observed that the illegal iron ore mining on the Andhra-Karnataka border would not be permitted until the boundary is clearly demarcated between the two states.

A bench of Justices Aftab Alam, K. S. Radhakrishnan and Ranjan Gogoi had given the ordered on an appeal that was filed by NGO Samaja Parivartana Samudaya claiming that there were large number of illegalities being recorded in mines in Bellary, Tumkur and Chitradurga districts. The illegalities recorded include illegal mining activities, allotment of large quantities of iron ore at very cheap prices to private firms and increase in the price of iron ore for other firms.