✦ Orissa High Court

Jitendra Nath Patnaik v. Union of India & Ors.

ORISSA AT CUTTACK W.P.(C) No. 32845 of 2021B R SARANGI2 min read

Case at a glance

Outcome

Disposed of

petition stands disposed of

Provisions considered

Key paragraphs

  • Para 77. clear that for the cases covered under this clause, including the pending cases, the right to obtain a prospecting licence followed by a mining lease or a mining lease, as the case may be, shall lapse on the date of commencement of the Mines…

Judgment

Mr. U.C. Patnaik, Advocate Opposite parties Mr. P. Mohanty, AGA (O.P.3) CORAM: DR. JUSTICE B.R. SARANGI MR. JUSTICE S.K. PANIGRAHI ORDER 03.01.2022 Order No. 1 This matter is taken up through hybrid mode.

2.

Heard Mr. U.C. Patnaik, learned counsel for the petitioner and Mr. P. Mohanty, learned Additional Government Advocate for the State.

3.

The petitioner has filed this writ petition seeking direction to the opposite parties to convey approval for grant of mining lease over an area of Ac.52.000 hectares in village Kadkala No.40 under Sadar Sub- Division of Keonjhar district for iron and manganese ore in favour of the petitioner and execute the mining lease in respect of the grant area in favour of the petitioner within a stipulated period. 2

4.

Mr. U.C. Mohanty, learned counsel for the petitioner contended that the petitioner was granted mining lease pursuant to Annexure-1 dated 25.06.2001 and thereafter, no follow up action has been taken. Therefore, the petitioner has approached this Court by filing this writ petition seeking direction to the opposite parties for approval of the mining lease in his favour.

5.

Mr. P. Mohanty, learned Additional Government Advocate for the State contended that in view of proviso to Section 10A (2) (b) (i) proviso to the Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Amendment Act, 2021, the claim of the petitioner cannot be permissible.

6.

Considering the contentions raised by learned counsel for the parties and after going through the records, it appears that the Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act has undergone amendment in 2021 called the Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Amendment Act, 2021, which has been notified in the official gazette on

28.03.2021, wherein proviso to Section 10A (2) (b) (i) reads as follows:

Provided that for the cases covered under this clause including the pending cases, the right to obtain a prospecting licence followed by a mining lease or a mining lease, as the case may be, shall lapse on the date of commencement of 3 the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2021: Provided further that the holder of a reconnaissance permit or prospecting licence whose rights lapsed under the first proviso, shall be reimbursed the expenditure incurred towards reconnaissance or prospecting operations in such manner as may be prescribed by the Central Government.

In view of aforementioned provisions, it is made

Operative part

7.

clear that for the cases covered under this clause, including the pending cases, the right to obtain a prospecting licence followed by a mining lease or a mining lease, as the case may be, shall lapse on the date of commencement of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2021, that means from the date it has been published in the official gazette. In that view of the matter, this Court is not inclined to issue any direction in view of proviso to Section 10A (2)(b) (i) of the Act. Therefore, the writ petition stands disposed of. Issue urgent certified copy as per rules. Alok ……………………... (DR. B.R. SARANGI) JUDGE …………….…………..……. (S.K. PANIGRAHI) 4 JUDGE

Questions this judgment answers

What did the Court decide in this case?

The Court recorded the following disposition: petition stands disposed of

Which statutory provisions did this judgment involve?

Amendment Act, 2021.

Precedent status how later indexed judgments have treated this case

No known negative treatment found in the Courts & Cases corpus.

This is a result about the indexed corpus, not a finding that the judgment remains good law. Coverage may be incomplete.

Why is this linked?

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