By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/BARBIL/KOIRA/BHUBANESWAR: India’s leading Miner Jharkhand’s Chaibasa headquarters ML Rungta Group, which has major mines in Odisha’s mineral rich Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts was Thursday got a major boost with Supreme Court appointed Committee giving clean chit over violation of Section 6 of MMDR Act.
Apex Court’s panel led by Justice (Retired) Anil R Dave and Justice (Retired) GS Singvi heard allegations on Section 6 of MMDR Act and Rule 37 of Mines and Minerals Act and said that no such allegations over violation of section 6 of MMDR Act and 37 of Mines and Minerals Act was not found against ML Rungta Group and its subsidiaries like Rungta Mines Ltd, Rungta Sons Pvt Ltd, ML Rungta, Bonai Industries Company Pvt Ltd, Freegrade and Company Pvt Ltd.
Chaibasa-based Rungta Group, all accused of controlling mineral rights in excess of permissible limits (until recently set at 10 square kilometres), were cleared by the committee. Section 6 of the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957 requires any further grant, in excess of the 10-km limit, to be approved by the state. Patnaik’s government had defended these lessees,and the report agreed with the Odisha’s stand that the miners had not violated the said section of the Act.
ML Rungta Group has mines in Koira and Joda minig circle of Odisha’s mineral rich Keonjhar and Sundargarh. The verdict of the Apex Court appointed panel has boosted the morale of the company, which was under criticism over illegal mining.
“With SC appointed panel giving clean chit, ML Rungta Group is expected to do better in the current bidding process of near about 40 mines in Odisha, that are expiring by March 31, 2020,” added an Industry watcher in Bhubaneswar.Apart from ML Rungta Group, the Committee also gave clean chit to Aditya Birla Group run Essel Mining and Industries Ltd.
It may be noted here that basing on several petitions, the Apex Court had on November 22, 2017 appointed a 2 members committee while the committee held hearing from February 19 to July 3, 2018.
