OMC mining in state illegal: AP

Hyderabad
Dec. 1: The state government on Tuesday admitted before the Andhra Pradesh High Court that the Obulapuram Mining Company has been extracting more than 25 lakh tonnes of iron ore illegally from the mines since September till now.
Mr D.V. Seetharam Murthy told this in reply to a query by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Anil R. Dave and Justice C.V. Nagarjuna Reddy.
The bench was dealing with a petition challenging the GO issued by the government directing the OMC to stop mining and transportation of iron ore from the mines and the stockyards of the company.
The court sought to know from the AG what the quantum of ore was still lying in OMC mine yards.
The AG replied that there was about two lakh tonnes of ore still available in the two stockyards of the company. The counsel appearing for the OMC sought permission of the court to lift the stock because it was mined before the GO was issued. The judges asked both the parties whether it was right for them to allow the stock to be lifted after securing a bank guarantee for an equivalent value from the OMC. The advocate-general who initially favoured a cash deposit in the place of a bank guarantee later said he has to obtain permission from the government.
He said that “larger public interest is involved here and this issue needs a deeper probe.” The OMC counsel complained to the court that material that was kept at the port sites of the shipyards was also being retained. The AG refuted the charge. The matter would be heard again on Wednesday.