As many as 14 mines with leases that come under categories A or B are facing threat of closure with the Director of Mines and Geology recommending their premature termination.
Even as the Supreme Court allowed leases falling under these two categories to resume mining operations subject to statutory conditions in its April 18 order, the Director of Mines and Geology has recommended premature termination of these 14 leases in his letter of June 3, 2013, besides those in Category C.
The mining leases that figure on this list are Varalakshmi Mining Company, K.R. Kaviraj, K.N. Srinivasa, K.M. Parvathamma, N. Sheik Sab, Hind Traders, S.B. Minerals, Deccan Mining Syndicate Private Limited, N. Rathnaiah, Raghavendra Rao (Jantkal Enterprises), Shreesha Enterprises, Kumaraswamy Mining Company, Narayana Mines Private Limited and Omkaramma.
The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) had, in its final report submitted on February 3, 2012, classified mining leases into categories A, B, and C based on irregularities. Mines in which there were few or no irregularities were categorised as A and those with those with maximum illegalities were placed in category C.
However, Director of Mines and Geology Department H.R. Srinivasa has recommended the termination of 31 leases, including 14 falling under categories A and B, on the ground that they have indulged in irregularities.
The recommendations have been sent to K. Amaranarayana, Secretary to Mines, SSI and Textiles under the Department of Commerce and Industries, to terminate the leases of these mines twice over the last two years, according to sources. However, the recommendations have not been accepted.
On the recommendation for termination of 14 leases, though they fall under categories A and B, Mr. Srinivasa said that they too have committed “serious irregularities”. He urged the Mining Secretary to “take action on the proposals without any further delay”.
Mr. Amaranarayana had come under a cloud when Bellary Deputy Commissioner Amlan Aditya Biswas accused him of “assisting a mining company to cover up a series of illegalities committed by it”.
