Common Order:

One Tapal Thimmappa was granted a mining lease for Iron ore over an area of 231 acres in Sy.Nos.1 and 2 of Malapanagudi Village, D. Hirehal Mandal, Ananthapur District on 16-8-1955 for a period of 20 years which expired on 15-5-1977.

Thereafter, on 12-7-2004 a notification was published under Rule 59 (1) (a) & (ii) of Mineral Concession Rules, 1960 (for short, ‘the Rules’) declaring that the said 231 acres of land situated in Sy.Nos.1 & 2 of Malapanagudi Village was available for regrant of a mining lease after expiry of 30 days from the date of publication of the notification. In pursuance thereof, M/s. Obulapuram Mining Company (P) Limited (9th respondent in W.P.Nos.14116 & 14818 of 2007) applied for grant of mining lease on 28-8-2004 over an extent of 93.52 hectares (231 acres). The petitioner in W.P.Nos.9723 & 14818 of 2007 - M/s. Tapal Thimmappa and Sons, a Partnership Firm made an application on 15-1-2005 for grant of mining lease over an area of 40.47 hectares. The petitioner in W.P.No.14116 of 2007 also made an application on 19-4-2006 (according to the respondents on 19-4-2007) for grant of mining lease over the notified area. Having processed the