SC allows Reddy brothers to resume mining
10 May 2010
The Supreme Court has permitted the Reddy brothers' Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) to restart mining operations in the undisputed region of Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh on Monday.
A Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, Justices Deepak Verma and B S Chauhan have allowed Reddy brothers' company to resume mining operations within 150 meters of the Karnataka border.
The apex court has clarified that OMC can carry out mining only in the undisputed area of the lease granted by the Karnataka government and if the Survey of India objects to it, then it would have to be stopped.
The court also directed Karnataka government to appoint officials from forest and mining departments to support the committee in demarcating the boundary between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to submit a report by within two months.
The Reddy brothers were accused of alleged encroachment of forestland at the sites of two mines. The brothers are given to understand to own mining leases for over 136 hectares of land spread in Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district.
On 22 March the apex court had suspended the brothers' mining operations in Andhra Pradesh and ordered investigation of the allegations by a survey team.(See: Apex court extends stay on Reddy brothers' mining operations in Andhra Pradesh)
