Karnataka govt pulled up for bias in sand mining leases

The high court on Wednesday pulled up the state for extending sand mining leases to select miners and observed that the act was unfair towards those who were denied extension.

The court made the observation while hearing a petition filed by YB Manjunath of Shimoga requesting the court to direct the mines and geology department to extend the sand mining lease granted to him since the government had sanctioned the same to others.

A division bench, headed by chief justice JS Khehar and justice HG Ramesh, observed, “Initially, you submitted that you do not permit sand mining through mechanised process and then allowed it. Later, you denied sand mining leases on the pretext that you are framing rules and said that you will not continue the existing sand mining leases beyond March 31, 2011. Now you decide to extend the lease period. You have picked and chosen to extend the lease only to some while denying extensions to some who are not favourable to you.”

The bench disposed the petition as infructuous after Ramji Naik, a senior geological scientist from Shimoga, submitted that the department will extend the mining lease of the petitioner and others who were mining in four of the six blocks by three weeks.