Amicus Curiae Recommends Suspension of Operations at Illegal Mines

In a written note filed by Amicus Curiae-ADN Rao has recommended the Apex Court to terminate mining operations at nine mining companies.

Who is Amicus Curiae?

Amicus Curiae is friend of the Court. Amicus Curiae is not a party to the case but has similar interests in the outcome of the case and offers information on it. Amicus Curiae has not been solicited by any of the parties to assist court.

In this recommendation made to the Apex Court Amicus Curiae- Mr. ADN Rao is a Supreme Court advocate.

As per the recommendation the following 11 mines which stand lapsed, the Odisha state govt. had passed orders under Section 8A of the MMDR Act, 2015 extending the lease periods were not eligible for the same. And have thus violated the Act.

1. SA Haleem
2. National Enterprises
3. Dipti ranjan Patnaik
4. Geeta Rani Mohanty
5. Essel Mining & Industries
6. Sarda Mines
7. Zeneith Mining
8. Smt. Kavita Agrawal
9. Prabodh Mohanty
10. Patnaik Minerals
11. Jitender Nath Patnaik

Violation of Rule, 24, MCR, 2016

The rule prescribes that the mining leases which have supplied minerals at substantially lesser prices lower than the fair market value are liable to termination. The following 9 mining leases are liable for termination under the same.

1. RP Sao Guali iron ore mines
2. Indrani Patnaik Unchabali iron ore mines
3. KJS Ahluwalia Nuagaon iron ore mines
4. AMTC Narayanposi iron ore mines
5. Mid East Integrated steel, Roida Sidhamatha iron ore mines
6. Kavita Agrawal Kusumdihi Manganese Mines
7. Mala Roy & Others Jalabari iron ore mines
8. Sharada Thakurani iron ore mines
9. Serajuddin Balda iron ore mines

In talk with SteelMint, an Odisha based merchant miner shared that now only a third party recommendation has been made. There after Supreme Court will ask the miners after which the miners will have to submit their explanations on the matter. Hence it will not impact mining industry immediately.