New Delhi: The Supreme Court Monday directed the central empowered committee (CEC) to quantify the penalty to be imposed on Sharda Mines private limited (SMPL) for excess mining of iron ore in the state.
A two-judge bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak said the accused company has explored iron ore in excess of what has been earmarked to the company in the first year of production.
“We leave it to the CEC) to quantify the penalty to be imposed on SMPL since September 22, 2004 on the basis of the environmental clearance. The calculation should also take into account the environmental clearance which is not retrospective and the first year of production, in view of the environmental clearance granted to SMPL would be 2004-2005. Any mining in excess of the environmental clearance by SMPL would be and is illegal,” the bench said.
The apex court has also granted six weeks’ time to the CEC to quantify the penalty to be imposed on SMPL on the basis of loot and various other considerations.
The bench observed that SMPL was granted permission July 13, 1999 to extract 1,40,000 million tonne of iron ore per annum. The permission was granted to the extent of broken up area of 94.024 acres. The company started mining in August 2001 in the area.
However, the court observed that the environmental clearance was granted to the company three years later in September 2004.
PNN