A bench of Justice RV Raveendran and Justice AK Patnaik issued notices to the parties involved in the issue and directed them to complete their pleading within four weeks.
The Supreme Court today issued notices to the Orissa government, the environment ministry and Sterlite Industries on a petition challenging the cancellation of environmental clearance to Niyamgiri Bauxite Mining Project in the state.
A bench of Justice RV Raveendran and Justice AK Patnaik issued notices to the parties involved in the issue and directed them to complete their pleading within four weeks.
It also directed to list the matter for further hearing after the pleadings.
Appearing for the petitioner -- state-owned Orissa Mining Corporations (OMC) -- senior advocate K K Venugopal said that as per the agreement, Sterlite had to pay Rs 55 crore in the wildlife fund and Rs 10 crores annually or 5 per cent of its annual profits, whichever is higher, for development of the area.
"Sterlite has to make payment. They have already paid Rs55 crore for the wildlife fund and has to pay Rs10 crores annually for the development of the area," he said.
Venugopal said that as there was no mining activity in the region, there was no payment of the development fee.
OMC moved the apex court challenging the Central Government's decision to reject environmental clearance to Vedanta's bauxite mining project in Niyamgiri Hills,
Sterlite is the Indian arm of the UK-based Vedanta.
Earlier, the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) had given in-principle approval to the project in 2007.
Contesting the MoEF order of August 24, OMC had submitted before the bench that the Centre's order was illegal, arbitrary and in violation of the apex court's earlier directions that gave a green signal to the project.
In a major setback to Vedanta, the Environment Ministry had on August 24 rejected the clearance to its $1.7 billion bauxite mining project, citing various violation of forest and environmental laws.
The ministry had refused the next stage forest clearance to OMC and Sterlite Bauxite mining project in the Niyamgiri Hills area in Lanjigarh, Kalahandi and Rayagadha districts, accepting the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) recommendation for withdrawal of the clearance.
Environment minister Jairam Ramesh had said, "There has been a very serious violation of Environment Protection Act, Forest Conservation and Rights Acts by the Orissa Government" as also violation of norms by the company.
Also, the ministry said that just because it had given an in-principle approval to the project in 2007, it could not be treated as fait accompli.
It also accused Vedanta of having committed several irregularities after the Supreme Court had given a favourable judgment to the project for mining in August 2008.
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