The Hindu : National : A.P. shockingly lacking in objectivity, says panel

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A.P. shockingly lacking in objectivity, says panel

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi: The Central Empowered Committee of the Supreme Court has said in its report to the court that Andhra Pradesh had taken the stand that all the mining leases “are in a compact block, there is no unallotted forest area lying between these mining leases and that the Obulapuram Mining Co. is not involved in any illegal mining outside its mining areas.” Differing with the findings of the State, the CEC said the conclusion drawn by Andhra Pradesh was totally erroneous. The report said: “The objectivity, fairness and impartiality which is expected from a State government is shockingly lacking here and does not inspire confidence. It is imperative that the boundaries of the mining leases are determined and fixed by an independent agency and till then all the mining operations in the area remain suspended.”

The CEC said the boundaries of the six mining leases should be demarcated by a team consisting of senior representatives of the Survey of India; Union Ministry of Environment and Forests; Andhra Pradesh Mines, Forest and Revenue Departments. The team should also demarcate and identify the area falling outside the approved mining leases and wherein illegal mining operations had been carried out.

It said that “till demarcation of boundaries of leases is done, the mining activities, including the transportation of already mined material from all the six mining leases should remain suspended. For mining done outside the approved mining leases, the mining lease holder concerned should be imposed an exemplary cost equivalent to the normative market value of the iron ore extracted from the area outside his approved mining lease.”

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