Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Thursday made it clear that it will not remain a mute spectator when the nation’s wealth is being looted through illegal mining by bigwigs.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Thottathil Bhaskaran Nair Radhakrishnan and Justice V. Ramasubramanian, while dealing with a PIL by former MLC Mr T.G.V. Krishna Reddy, pointed out that the authorities who remained silent despite the Court’s order in 2015 for recovery of penalty were now on their toes after the court impleaded the Comptroll-er and Auditor General and the CBI as respondents to the PIL.
The Bench pulled up the authorities for not taking action against illegal miners who ha-ve been looting limestone in Konanki, Nadikudi and Kesanupally and booking cases against labourers working in the mines leaving the bigwigs.
The petitioner told the court that earlier one K. Guravachary, a resident of Pidugur-alla town, had filed a PIL seeking a CBI probe into alleged illegal mining by MLA Y. Srinivasa Rao and his henchmen and the High Court had directed the authorities to immediately stop the illegal mining and recover the loss caused to the exchequer from the officers responsible for it.
Mr Sivaraju Srinivas, counsel appearing for certain mining companies, submitted that they had been paying mining cess regularly but the authorities had issued notice to pay the cess from the year 2000 though they had not indulged in illegal mining. The bench pointed out that it appeared it had become routine for the authorities to spare the bigwigs and target the small players.
Stating that it would not allow this kind of circus, the bench posted the case after Dasara vacation.
