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2008 Supreme(SC) 2072
SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
K.G. Balakrishnan, CJI., Arijit Pasayat, S.H. Kapadia, JJ.
T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad - Petitioner
Versus
Union of India & Ors - Respondents
I.A.No.828, 839,840, 850, 853-854, 855-856, 866-868, 869-870, 871- 872, 873-874, 875-876, 877-878, 879-880, 881-882, 891-892, 900, 905, 1276-1277, 1465, 1488 in 891-892, 1590, 1612-1613, 2007-2008 and 2138-2139 in 891-92, 2205, 1700-1703 in W.P.(C)No.202/1995
Decided On : 25-04-2008
For the Petitioner:Mr. Harish N. Salve, (A.C.), Mr. Uday U. Lalit, (A.C.)(N.P.), Mr. Siddhartha Chowdhury, (A.C.)(NP), Mr. A.D.N. Rao, (A.C.), Mr. P.K. Manohar, Mr. Kamal Gupta, (A.C.), Mr. Ranjit Kumar, (A.C.), Mr. Vijay Panjwani, Advocates.
For the Respondents/MoEF:Mr. G.E. Vahanvati, S.G., Mr. A. Mariarputham, Mr. P. Parmeswaran, Mrs. Kiran Bhardwaj, Mr. Harris Beeran, Mr. D.S. Mahra, Advocates, I.A.No.2167:Mr. G.E. Vahanvati, Sol. Genl.of India, Mr. Gopal Subramanium, ASG, Ms. Alka Sharma, Mr. D.S. Mahra, Advocates.
For the Delhi Police :Mr. Ashok Bhan, Ms. Kiran Bhardwaj, Mr. M.P.S. Tomar, Mr. S.W.A. Qadri, Mr. D.S. Mahra, Mr. B.V. Balram Das, Advocates, I.A.Nos.2186-2187:Mr. Mukul Rohtagi, Mr. Dharmesh Mishra, Mr. J.K. Das, Mr. Jitender Mohan Sharma, Ms. Shobha, Mr. Pravir Chaudhary, Ms. Bina Tamta, Mr. Pradeep K. Bakshi, Advocates, I.A.Nos.1911-12:Ms. Kavita Wadia, Mr. Goodwill Indeevar, Ms. Rachana Srivastava, Mr. R.K. Adsure, Mr. M.P. Meharia, Advocates, I.A.No.2163:Mr. K.K. Venugopal, Mr. Ajit Pudussery, Advocate. I.A.2186 in 1785:Mr. S.K. Dubey, Mr. K.V. Mohan, Mr. M.N. Krishnamani, Mr. S.L. Kumar, Mr. B.V.K. Ahluwalia, M/s. S.U.K. Sagar, Bina Madhavan, Hemal K. Sheth, Advs. M/s. Lawyer's Knit & Co., Advocates, I.A.No.2129:Mr. Pratap Venugopal, M/s. K.J. John & Co, Ms. Asha G. Nair, Advocates, I.A.No.2167:Mr. Mukul Rohtagi, Mr. Sanjeev Kumar, Mr. Kumar Mihir, M/s. Khaitan & Co., Advocates, I.A.Nos.1707,932 in 819-832 and 1710-12:Mr. Mukul Rohtagi, Mr. Ajay Sharma, Ms. Tasleem Ahmadi, Mr. R.S. Jena, Advocates, I.A. No. 1291:Mr. Ranjit Kumar, Ms. Suparna Srivastava, Mr. Rajesh Srivastava, Mr. Vishwajit Singh, Mr. Vishnu Sharma, Advocates, IA 2269:Mr. Mukul Rohtagi, Mr. Manjit Singh, Mr. T.V. George, Advocate. I.A.No.1906:Mr. Anup G. Chaudhary, Mr. Manjit Singh, Mr. T.V. George, Advocates, I.A.No.2198:Mr. Mukul Rohtagi, Mr. Manjit Singh Mr. T.V. George, Advocates, I.A.No.1967 in 1785:Dr. A.M. Singhvi, Mr. Dhruv Mehta, Mr. Harshvardhan Jha, Mr. Gulshan Sharma, M/s. K.L. Mehta & Co., Advocates, IA 1424-1425:Mr. Dhruv Mehta, Mr. Harshvardhan Jha, Mr. Gulshan Sharma, M/s. K.L. Mehta & Co., Advocates, I.A.No.2213:Mr. M.L. Lahoty, (in person), And & Nic. Admn., Mr. Parag Tripathi, ASG, Ms. Shiraz Patodia, Ms. Nidhi Jain, Advocates, For the M/O Defence:Mr. Wasim A. Qadri, Mr. Jubair Ahmad Khan, Mr. B.K. Prasad, Advocates.
For the M/O Defence I.A.Nos.891-892 in 2138-39 :Mr. Ashish Dholakia, Mr. Adarsh Priyarshini, Ms. Sumita Hazarika, Advocates, I.A.1785:Mr. D.N. Goburdhun, Mrs. Pinky Anand, Ms. Geeta Luthra, Mr. Bhupender Yadav, Mr. R.C. Kohli, Advocates, I.A.NO.1785:Mr. K.B. Rohatgi, Advocate. W.P.(C)4677/85:Ms. Aparna Rohatgi Jain, Mr. Mahesh Kasana, Advocates, I.A.Nos.869-70:Mr. K.B. Rohatgi, Advocate. IA 828 in W.P. (c) No.202/1995:Ms. Aparna Rohatgi Jain, Mr. Mahesh Kasana, Advocate. IA 1413:Mr. R.N. Karanjawala, Mrs. Manik Karanjawala, Ms. Nandini Gore, Mr. Debmalya Banerjee, Ms. Sonia Nigam, Advocates, I.A.Nos.2126 and 2129:Mr. Bhavanishankar V. Gadnis, Ms. B. Sunita Rao, Advocate.
For the State of MP :Mr. B.S. Banthia, Mr. Mukul Rohtagi, Mr. Umapathy, Mr. N.M. Popli, Mrs. Asha G. Nair, Mr. L.R. Singh, Advocates. I.A.Nos.2213-2215 in 948-948A:Mr. B.S. Jain, Mr. Ajay Veer Singh, Dr.(Mrs.)Vipin Gupta, Advocates.
For the State of Goa :Ms. A. Subhashini, Advocate. I.A.2186-2187:Ms. Shobha Dikshit, Ms. Savitri Pandey, Mr. Anil Kr. Jha, Mr. Mohd. Fuzail Khan, Mr. Manoj Dwivedi, Ms. Archana Singh, Advocates, I.A.Nos.2199-2200:Kumar Rajesh Singh, Mrs. Niranjana Singh, Advocate. I.A.Nos.855-856:Mr. Ajay Majithia, Mr. Rajesh Kumar, Dr. Kailash Chand, Dr. Julian Francis, Mr. Abraham Pattiyani, Ms. Manju A. Pattiyani, Mr. Jose Abraham, Mr. George Giri, Mr. S.P. Sharma, Advocates, I.A.Nos.1424-1425:Mr. Mukul Rohtagi, Mr. E.C. Agrawala, Mr. Mahesh Agarwal, Mr. Rishi Agrawala, Mr. Ashutosh Garg, Ms. Neha Aggarwal, Mr. Gourav Goyal, Advocates
For the State of Assam :Mr. Riku Sarma, M/s. Corporate Law Group, Advocate.
For the State of Mizoram :Mr. K.N. Madhusoodhanan, Mr. R. Sathish, Advocate.
For the State of Andhra Pradesh :Mr. Anil Shrivastav, Mr. Ritu Raj, Ms. Suparna Srivastava, Ms. Nidhi Minocha, Mr. Rajesh Srivastava, Mr. Raj Kumar Mehta, Advocates, I.A.No.2212:Mr. A. Saran, ASG, Mr. Vishnu B. Saharya, M/s. Saharya &Co., Mr. Gopal Singh, Advocates, I.A.No.1500&2235:Mr. Mukul Rohtagi, Mr. Ciccu Mukhopadhyay, Mr. Shambhu Prasad Singh, Ms. Manjula Gupta, Ms. Shweta Verma, Advocates, I.A.No.873-876:Mr. Sunil Kumar, Mr. Puneet Agrawal, Dr. Kailash Chand, Mrs. Hemantika Wahi, Ms. Pinky, Ms. Jesal Wahi, Mr. V.B. Joshi, Mr. S. Borthakur, Mr. Sunil K. Jain, Advocates, I.A.No.2143:Mr. R.K. Gupta, Mr. S.K. Gupta, Mr. Arun Yadav, Mr. A.N. Baradaiyar, Advocates, I.A.Nos.2191-93:Mr. Rajesh Singh, Ms. Shilpa Chouhan, Mr. Sanjay Upadhyay, Advocates, I.A.No.828:Mr. Sunil Roy, Mr. Sushil Kumar Jain, Mr. Puneet Jain, Ms. Archana Tiwari, Advocates, I.A.Nos.891-892:Mr. D.N. Ray, Mr. Rajiv Mehta, Mr. Naresh Kaushik, Mr. Satish Dayanandan, Mr. Aditi Gupta, Mrs. Lalitha Kaushik, Ms. Amita Kalkal, Advocates, I.A.Nos.675-776:Mr. Kuldeep S. Parihar, Mr. H.S. Parihar, Mr. Rakesh K. Sharma, Advocates, I.A.Nos.2177-78,2179-80, 2181- 82,2183-84:Mr. Mukul Rohtagi, Mr. Sunil Dogra, Mr. S.U.K. Sagar, Ms. Bina Madhavan, M/s. Lawyers' Knit & Co., Ms. Sheel Sethi, Advocates, I.A.Nos.6&12&13:Ms. Vijay Lakshmi Menon, Ms. Yogmaya Agnihotri, Mr. D.K. Sinha, Advocates, I.A.No.2198:Dr. Surat Singh, Mr. Jagdev Singh, Mr. Arun K.Bariwal, Advocates, I.A.No.2163:Mr. A. Mariarputham, Ms. Aruna Mathur, M/s. Arputham Aruna & Co., Mr. Amit Kumar, Mr. Shashi B. Upadhyay, Mr. E.M.S. Anam, Mr. Surya Kant, M/s. J.S. Wad &Co., Mr. Bimal Roy Jad, Advocates,
Headnote:
Mines and Minerals - MoEF seeks further time to file a report regarding the impact of mining on water level -Applicant obtained a licence for carrying out mining activity in 263.25 acres of land. According to the applicant, out of this only 7.85 acres of land is forest land and the rest of the area is not covered by forest and for 7.85 acres of land the applicant has got clearance from the MoEF - Stand taken by the State Government is that the entire 263.25 acres are forest land. According to applicant, there was earlier a joint survey conducted and it was found therein that whole area was not forest land. But according to the District Level Committee, the whole area is forest land – Held, filing of the consolidated proposal for seeking approval under the F.C. Act for the construction/ upgradation/widening of the roads and the decisions thereon by the MoEF shall be taken in a time bound manner so that the construction of the roads is not unnecessarily hampered. The safeguards/conditions stipulated by the MoEF shall be strictly complied with;" Learned counsel appearing for the State of Chhattisgarh submits that these roads had to be surfaced properly to avoid illegal land mines and it is submitted that the police and administration are not able to reach remote village areas due to the absence of these village roads. The recommendations suggested by the C.E.C. are acceptable to the State Government. It is submitted that suggestion that the State Government may be directed to take disciplinary action against the officers for construction of the roads, may not be accepted – Disposed of
ORDER :
Haryana(Mining) I.A.No.828, 839,840, 850, 853-854, 855-856, 866-868, 869- 870, 871-872, 873-874, 875-876, 877-878, 879-880, 881-882, 891-892, 900, 905, 1276-1277, 1465, 1488 in 891-892, 1590, 1612- 1613, 2007-2008 and 2138-2139 in 891-92, 2205, 1700-1703 in W.P.(C)No.202/1995 & I.A.No.1785 IN W.P.(C)No.4677/1985 I.A.No.1967 in I.A.No.1785 in W.P.(C)No.4677/1985 I.A.No.2152 in I.A.No.1785 in W.P.(C)No.4677/1985 I.A.No.2143 in I.A.No.1785 in W.P.(C)No.4677/1985 I.A.No.2186 in I.A.No.1785 in W.P.(C)No.4677/1985 W.P.(C)NO.624/2002 W.P.(C)NO.661/2002 W.P.(C)No.428/2002 CONT.PET.(C)NO.568/2002 CONT.PET.(C)NO.542/2004 I.A.No.2198 @ CONT.PET.NO.125/2006 VIDE COURT'S ORDER dated 25.10.2007 I.A.No.2269 in I.A.No.1785 in W.P.(C)No.4677/1985 CONT.PET.(C)NO.186/2003 IN W.P.(C)NO.4677/1985 I.A.No.1866 in W.P.(C)No.4677/1985 I.A.Nos.1858-1859 in W.P.(C)No.4677/1985 I.A.No.1886 in W.P.(C)No.4677/1985 I.A.No.1888 in W.P.(C)No.4677/1985 I.A.No.1891 to 1893 in W.P.(C)No.4677/1985 I.A.No.1895 in W.P.(C)No.4677/1985 I.A.No.1896 in W.P.(C)No.4677/1985 I.A.No.1906 in W.P.(C)No.4677/1985 I.A.No.1907-1908 in W.P.(C)No.4677/1985 I.A.No.1911-1912 in W.P.(C)No.4677/1985 I.A.No.1937 in W.P.(C)No.4677/1985 and 2168 & Cont.Pet.No.186/2006
1. MoEF seeks further time to file a report regarding the impact of mining on water level. Four weeks time is granted for filing the same.
2. List on 18.7.2008.
I.A.No.2270 :
3. Issue notice to C.E.C. Learned Amicus Curaie may file his views within four weeks.
4. List on 18.7.2008.
I.A.NO.2167
5. List on 18.7.2008
I.A.Nos.2177-78, 2179-80, 2181-82 and 2183-84 :
6. The applicants who are engaged in mining, have agreed to the recommendations made by C.E.C. Learned counsel appearing for the applicants submits that they are agreeable for the following recommendations :
1. to pay the NPV (if not already paid) for entire forest area included in mining lease approved under MMDR Act;
2. to pay Compensatory Afforestation for the entire forest area excluding the fores area broken before/prior to 25.10.1980;
3. to pay Penal Compensatory Afforestation if the mine has operated in past in violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act;
4. No transfer of mining lease has taken place in violation of the provisions of the MMDR Act/Forest (Conservation) Act;
5. The mine was actually in operation and not closed during the validity of mining lease; however, mines were closed and mining operations stopped as soon as the mining leases expired;
6. They agree to give undertaking to pay additional charges, if any, payable as per the conditions imposed at the time of formal approval.
7. We accept the recommendations.
8. MoEF may consider the applications of the applicants and pass appropriate orders in the matter of grant of licenses to these applicants.
9. Applications are disposed of accordingly.
I.A.No.2163 :
10. Teesta Hydroelectric Project Stage VI has been recommended by the Forest Advisory Committee. MoEF may examine and pass appropriate orders as regards clearance in respect of 89.4266 ha. of forest land. We accept the recommendations, subject to the clearance by MoEF.
11. I.A. is disposed of accordingly.
I.A.No.2166 :
12. List on 16.5.2008.
I.A.NO.2126 :
13. List on 2.5.2008.
I.A.No.2212 :
14. List on 2.5.2008.
I.A.No.1500 and 2235 :
15. Applicant obtained a licence for carrying out mining activity in 263.25 acres of land. According to the applicant, out of this only 7.85 acres of land is forest land and the rest of the area is not covered by forest and for 7.85 acres of land the applicant has got clearance from the MoEF. Stand taken by the State Government is that the entire 263.25 acres are forest land. According to applicant, there was earlier a joint survey conducted and it was found therein that whole area was not forest land. But according to the District Level Committee, the whole area is forest land. The applicant requests that the representatives from C.E.C. may make inspection of the land and give a report. Applicant may make an application for before t
