Date | Nov 12, 2017:

The Supreme Court has stayed a Karnataka High Court direction to the state government to grant mining lease in favour of B L Rani Samyukta in relation to 79 acres in Ballari district.

A bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta suspended the operation of the HC's order of January 9.

Acting on a special leave petition filed by the Karnataka government, the apex court on Friday issued the notice to Samyukta, seeking her response in the matter.

Samyukta, wife of KB Srinivas, had unsuccessfully contested 2013 Assembly elections from Vijayanagar constituency on BSR Congress ticket.

In a writ petition before the HC, she sought direction to the state government for grant of mining lease in view of a letter issued by the Central government on July 4, 2008.

Having noticed that there was a prior approval by the Central government in relation to 79 acres of land in Rajapura and Jambunathanahalli villages, Hosapete taluk, Ballari district, the HC said, "We feel the state government is bound to execute the mining lease. We direct the respondents to consider, grant, execute and register the mining lease in favour of the writ petitioner, in relation to the land allotted to the petitioner, by January 11, 2017, peremptorily," a division bench of the HC said.

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