Vice president of Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI) and MD of Mineral Enterprises Limited, Basant Poddar, on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court’s green signal for reopening of the Category B mines and to shut down Category C mines permanently in the state.
In an chat with Express, he said: “It is a big relief, as the problems pertaining to mining industry have reached some sort of finality. We are very happy with (Thursday’s) the verdict as corporate and responsible mining companies are going to gain and corrupt and illegal mining operations have been rooted out.” Moreover, ancillary industries, labour class and other business units that are dependent on the mining industry will slowly gain momentum as the industry will open after nearly two years, he said.
Appreciating he Central Empowered Committee (CEC) and its teams for the monumental work of demarcating and survey of all the 170 mining leases in the districts of Bellary, Chitradurga and Tumkur, Poddar said, “They have toiled hard and it was not an easy task”.
While eight Category C mines in the district have been permanently closed following Thursday’s Supreme Court verdict, seven leases falling in Category B were allowed to function as the apex court-appointed CEC was satisfied with the rehabilitation and reclamation works undertaken by the mine owners.
Deputy Director of Department of Mines and Geology, Narasimha Murthy, said the mines falling in Category C blatantly violated the environment laws and the damages they caused were irreparable.
He said Anjana Mining Company near Bheemasamudra, Mysore Manganese Company Private Limited, Dasharatha Rami Reddy’s mining company, Allum Veerabhadrappa’s company, Raj Minerals, Tangavelu and Company, Sri Laksminarasimha Mining Company, Lakkihalli, M Srinivasalu and Company, all from Hosadurga taluk, have been permanently closed”.
Murthy also said, “We are awaiting for the full text of the verdict for more clarity.”
Sesa Goa in Megalahalli; Garudadri Impex Limited in Chitradurga; Mineral Enterprises Limited (Narahati); M/S Canara Minerals Private Limited; V Susheelamma Mines and M/s Janthakal Enterprises Limited were allowed to mine by the Supreme Court, Murthy said .
He said V Susheelamma Mines and Janthakal Enterprises still needed to be inspected for rehabilitation and reclamation works after which the mines will be allowed to operate.
President of Samaj Parivarthan Samudaya (SPS) S R Hiremath, who had filed a Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court on illegal mining in the state, said, “We welcome the outcome of the Forest Bench of the Supreme Court.”