SC transfers mining case of Gali Reddy to Green Bench

Anantapur: The Supreme Court has transferred petitions pertaining to Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) of D Hirehal mandal in Anantapur district to the Green Bench on Tuesday. A controversy over the fixing of borders between AP and Karnataka was on and the CBI had filed cases on illicit mining of iron ore.

The AP government had recently told the Supreme Court it has no objection to resumption of iron ore mining in Bellary reserve forest, where it was banned in 2010 over encroachment of forest land and other alleged violations, primarily by the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) of former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy.

However, petitions over seven more mining leases of reserve forests in Bellary district of Karnataka in Anantapur district borders were pending with Green Bench. The apex court clubbed all the petitions with the Green Bench.

Counsel for the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC),  Mukul Rohathgi, informed the Supreme Court bench that the issue was not connected with the border area issues and mining would be done only within AP.

The bench also referred to the Australia Underground Mining issue and said it was not able to say how deep the mining can be done. The bench also observed there was destruction of reserved forests along the state borders.

Tapala Ganesh, who has been fighting over the lack of clarity over the survey along the state borders of AP and Karnataka hoped the clubbing of similar cases with Green Bench can help in providing the clarity he has sought.