SC tells experts’ team to finish survey by April 22

During the proceedings before a Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan,it was submitted by the contesting parties that the lease was granted on the basis of some deviation which was clear from the interim report submitted on April 9. Attorney General G E Vahanvati and Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium,appearing for the Andhra Pradesh government and Survey of India,respectively,submitted it was very difficult to survey the disputed area as everything was uprooted,including pillars demarcating the boundary between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh along the Bellary Reserve Forest where the lease was granted for mining.

They further said till survey work is completed there should be no mining in the area as suggested in the interim report. The mining activity would disturb the process of survey as the boundary would have to be demarcated and pillars fixed again.

Senior advocates K Parasaran,P P Rao and Mukul Rohatgi,appearing for OMC and Reddy brothers,sought lifting of the stay order contending the authorities,which had allotted the land for mining,should be held responsible if there was any deviation.

On April 9,the apex court-appointed committee had submitted its interim survey report on iron ore mines in the district.