The Supreme Court on Friday passed an interim order saying that any action by the Centre concerning the auction of commercial mining blocks in Jharkhand will be subject to further orders passed by the court in future.
“Any action you take will be subject to our orders ... We will hear this case after re-opening [post Diwali vacation],” Chief Justice Sharad A. Bobde told Attorney General K.K. Venugopal in a short hearing.
The court said it was adjourning the case for now after taking into account Mr. Venugopal’s earlier submission that “action on the ground would be taken only after two years.”
Senior advocate Fali Nariman, for Jharkhand government, also elicited an assurance from Mr. Venugopal that there would be no cutting of trees in the meanwhile.
In the previous hearing, the court had considered passing directions to freeze the e-auction of mining blocks located within 50 km radius of ecologically fragile zones in Jharkhand in a bid to ensure that forests are not destroyed.
“We do not want the development of the country to stop, but we do not also want the destruction of the natural wealth of the country,” the Chief Justice had addressed Mr. Venugopal.
The court had highlighted the devastation of forests, cutting of trees and the displacement of tribal populations for which mining involved.
The Bench had even suggested to Mr. Venugopal to hold the e-auction till an expert committee conducted a survey of the environmental impact and filed report in one month.
The court is hearing a suit filed by the Jharkhand government against a decision of the Centre to auction coal blocks for commercial mining.
Referring to the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution, dealing with administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes, the State has said that six of the nine coal blocks in Jharkhand — Chakla, Chitarpur, North Dhadu, Rajhara North, Seregarha and Urma Paharitola — put up for auction fall within the protected areas.
