SIDDHARTHA VARMA
Om Prakash – Appellant
Versus
State of U. P. – Respondent
JUDGMENT :
1. Upon a complaint being received that the petitioners were excavating soil illegally from the plot no. 362 of village Palpur Kamalpur Pargana & Tehsil Sadar District Bareilly, a spot inspection was got done and thereafter a notice was issued to the petitioners jointly on 15.3.2016 as to why the petitioners be not made liable to pay for the 8550 cubic meter soil which they had excavated. The petitioners individually replied to the notice on 4.4.2016 and stated that they had not excavated any soil and in fact had only tried to level the agricultural plot of theirs. The reply of the petitioners was considered and rejected on 29.4.2016 by the District Magistrate, Bareilly, and a recovery of Rs.15,39,000/- was ordered to be made from the petitioners.
2. The petitioners under Rule 77 of the U.P. Minor Mineral (Concession) Rules, 1963, filed an Appeal. When the appeal was dismissed on 9.1.2017, the instant writ petition has been filed.
3. Learned counsel for the petitioners has assailed the two orders and has taken support of the Government Order dated 24.12.2012 by which it had been provided that if the excavation was lesser than two meters then it shall not be considered as ex
The court emphasized the importance of proving evidence as per the law and upheld the permissible limit of excavation as per the State authorities.
The main legal point established in the judgment is the requirement for fair inspection procedures and the application of relevant legal provisions to determine the legality of excavation activities.
The burden to establish illegal mining operations and fiscal charges lies upon the authorities, and any ambiguity in penal provisions should be resolved in favor of the person subjected to penalty.
Petitioners have the right to excavate soil from their patta lands but not from tank beds, with due legal process required for any alleged violations.
The central legal point established is the interpretation of mining operations under Rule 3 of the UP Minor Minerals (Concession) Rules, 1963, and the requirement to demonstrate the purpose of extrac....
Excavation of earth for development and levelling of the same land does not require additional permission or royalty payment.
Excavation of ordinary earth for construction purposes did not attract levy of royalty and penalty under the provisions of Section 48(7) of the M.L.R. Code, 1966, especially when the excavated earth ....
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