New Delhi | April 25, 2017: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Karnataka government to indicate alternatives to e-auction of iron ore in the state.

A bench comprising justices Ranjan Gogoi, P.C. Pant and Navin Sinha was hearing a batch of pleas relating to iron ore mining in Karnataka. The court had earlier asked the central empowered committee (CEC) to ascertain whether e-auction of iron ores is still preferable in the state.

Several mining companies and the Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI), a mining industry body had sought a halt on e-auction for sale of iron and manganese ores in Karnataka as per the apex court’s 2013 directions.

In April 2013, the court had ordered that all sales of iron and manganese ores in Karnataka should be only through e-auctions that will be monitored and overseen by the CEC. It also ordered several measures to prevent environmental damage due to mining. The court’s ruling came in a 2003 case filed by non-profit Samaj Parivartana Samudaya against large-scale depletion of forests in Karnataka due to massive illegal mining.

The apex court in its April 2013 order had also directed Karnataka to cancel 51 C-category leases for involving in rampant illegal mining and re-allot them to end users through a transparent bidding mechanism. Karnataka in January 2016 announced an e-auction of 11 of the 51 C- category mines.

FIMI and the state government have also sought the court’s nod to increase the cap on quantity of iron ore that can be mined in the state by at least 10 million metric tonnes. The court on Tuesday asked CEC to consider the plea.

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