The Supreme Court on Thursday told Centre to file its response within four weeks on a plea seeking the termination of 358 iron ore mining leases which were apportioned, or their timeframe prolonged, sans any renewed assessment or by adhering the due auction process.
The plea filed by Advocate Manohar Lal Sharma has also sought annulment of Section 8A of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.
Sharma contended in the PIL that Section 8A was “illegal, arbitrary and unconstitutional” and it is a clear violation of Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution.
Section 8A has created grave financial and other fatalities to the general public at large…, the PIL said.
The petitioner has also sought direction to CBI to file an FIR and investigate the allocation of iron ore mines without pursuing the due process, in that way leading to a huge cost to the treasury.
The plea further wants auctioning of 358 mines leases in order to recover the losses caused to the public exchequer by the mining companies.
“The mining leases extended in 2014-2015 in return for alleged big donations have generated severe financial damages to the state treasury amounting Rs 4 lakh crore,” the plea said.
—India Legal Bureau
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