Has observed that granting the lease in a forest area was motivated and intentional. Has further warned the Govt to cancel all such licences issued for mining in forest areas, before the disposal of the petition.
The petitioner, H C Prabhu is a miner from Coorg, who was issued a licence for stone quarrying at Seege Hosur area in Kodagu district and his licence was later cancelled as the area fell under Reserve Forest.
The issue came to notice when Mr.Prabhu moved the High Court against the cancellation. The shocked High Court observed;
[quote style=”1″]First, it was overlapping in mining lease areas; now it’s allowing mining in forest areas. How can you allow it in the first place and then cancel it later? When hafta and maheena (monthly bribe) stops, you start passing such orders. This is clearly extraneous, intentional and motivated action. What kind of department is this? Everything you are doing is from back door only. The department of mines and geology has become PWD. We want all these to stop at once, not one by one like this.[/quote]The HC wants the Govt to bring out a single order cancelling all the leases across the State rather than proceeding on a case by case basis and has directed the State to seek instructions to cancel the leases and submit an action taken report in four weeks’ time, before the disposal of the current petition.