New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday accepted
the recommendations of a Central Empowered Committee (CEC),
appointed by it, which had suggested that no new mining leases
should be granted in Bellary, Tumkur and Chitradurga districts
of Karnataka unless rehabilitation plans for the existing
leases were executed.
A forest bench headed by Chief Justice SH Kapadia
directed the implementation of Reclamation and Rehabilitation
(R&R) plan in all categories of mines to start immediately.
It said that the preparation, implementation and
monitoring of R&R would be under the supervision of CEC.
The bench also comprising justices Aftab Alam and
Swatanter Kumar asked the CEC to give suggestions with regards
to disposal of stockyards.
Further the bench also asked CEC whether work could be
made operationalised in the category `A` mines.
Earlier in its report the CEC had distinguished mines in
the area in three categories as A, B and C.
The mines in which there was least or no irregularities
in was categorised as `A` and those with maximum illegalities
as `C` category.
PTI
