Date | Jan 09, 2017:

The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the Centre to expeditiously decide on the application for a mining lease in Jharkhand by Lakshmi Mittal’s Luxembourg-based steel manufacturing company ArcelorMittal which intends to set up a 12 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) steel plant in the state.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva asked the government to take a decision before January 11, 2017 -- the last date for executing a mining lease with the state government and listed the company’s plea for hearing on January 12.

The court also issued a notice to the Centre on the company’s plea claiming it was entitled for grant of mining lease under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Act as it satisfies all the requirements provided under the statute.

According to the company, once the Centre communicates the previous approval as required under the Act for grant of a mining lease, or if a letter of intent is issued by the government to grant a mining lease before the Act was amended in 2015, the lease will be granted subject to fulfilment of the conditions of the previous approval or of the letter of intent within a period of two years from the date of commencement of the Act.

ArcelorMittal has claimed that the two-year period ends on January 11, 2017.

(Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/)