Mining in Karnataka may resume after the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee in its final report submitted to the court on Thursday, recommended that ‘A’ and ‘B’ category mines may be allowed to resume mining subject to conditions including environmental clearances as laid down by the Forest (Conservation) Act, reclamation and rehabilitation (R&R) plan and clearance by the joint committee of the CEC. The apex court is expected to take final decision on these recommendations when it sits for hearing the illegal mining case on Friday.
The CEC has recommended that 20 mining leases of 50 hectares and above under ‘A’ category (legal mining leases with minor violations) and 29 such leases in category ‘B’ (alleged encroachment up to 10 per cent beyond the sanctioned lease) barring the seven leases on the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border, may be permitted to re-start after the Committee finalization of the R&R plan, in accordance with the Supreme Court order of April 13, for these 49 leases by June this year. The CEC has recommended the cancellation of the 49 illegal mining leases under the ‘C’ category, which had reportedly encroached and mined over 10 to 15 per cent outside the sanctioned area.
While making some allowance to legitimate miners, the CEC has laid down stringent rules for the sale of iron ore lying in the various stockyards in the State and has recommended the e-auction of ore by the monitoring committee comprising Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Vigilance) Dipak Sarmah, Chief Conservator of Forests, U.V. Singh and Director, Mines & Geology, H.R. Srinivasa subject to the condition that the “sale proceeds in respect of the ore not found to be involved in any illegality would be reimbursed to the stockyards”.