Category: News

VV Minerals takes strong objection to special team’s assessment report

CHENNAI: Minerals major VV Minerals of Tirunelveli has taken strong objection to the findings of a special team headed by IAS officer Satyabrata Sahoo, in his report on the assessment of beach sand minerals stored at various places in Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari districts, that has been filed before the Madras High Court in March last.

Originally, Gagandeep Singh Bedi, the then Revenue secretary, was appointed as head of the special
team in 2013. While so, one G Victor Rajamanickam filed a PIL petition in the High Court for constitution of another special investigation team to probe alleged beach sand mining in the three coastal districts.
Following a direction from the first bench on the PIL and other batch of writ appeals and petitions, the government on April 7, 2017 nominated Sahoo, who was then chairman and managing director of TIDCO, as the head of the special team. The court had also appointed advocate V Suresh as the amicus curiae to assist the court. The report was filed before a division bench of Justices M Sathyanarayanan and N Seshasayee in March last. Read more

Courtesy: The New Indian Express

Japan stops cash for bullet train after project stalled over land row

The protest against land acquisition for the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project has become a huge roadblock for the cash flow from Japan.

The latest installment that funding agency Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) was supposed to release for last quarter, did not reach, said sources from Gujarat government. The JICA stopped the payment on the grounds that the project did not show any progress due to several disputes.

A senior state official, said on condition of anonymity, “As issues over acquisition of land for the bullet train project surfaced in Gujarat as well as in Maharashtra, no progress could be made. The agreements for payment of installment is conditional and the funds arrive from JICA if the progress is constant. The first installment of Rs 125 crore was sanctioned when the Japanese PM visited Gujarat in last September.” Read more

Courtesy: DNA

Government to put over 100 mineral blocks in next round of auction

A bunch of 102 mineral blocks are being readied by different states to be put up for the next round of mining auction soon. The move is in line with the government policy to speed up auction of existing blocks and accelerate exploration of potential blocks across the country.

Speaking at the 4th National Conclave on Mines & Minerals, union mines minister Narendra Singh Tomar said out of the 43 blocks auctioned so far, some eleven blocks have started production. Read more

Courtesy: The Economic Times

Anti-Sterlite protests: HC seeks report on Sterlite prior to riots, firing

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday asked the State to submit reports, videos and other documentary evidence pertaining to the anti-Sterlite protests prior to the Thoothukudi riots, which took place on the 100th day of the protests.

A division bench of Justices C.T. Selvam and A.M. Basheer Ahamed also sought Intelligence reports of the Thoothukudi police. The State has been directed to submit its reports on July 18.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation petition filed by advocate A.W.D. Tilak of Thoothukudi, who sought a copy of the Section 144 CrPC order (prohibitory order) clamped in parts of the city during the anti-Sterlite protests. Read more

Courtesy: The Hindu

Modi’s Bullet Train Battles Legal Hurdles Over Farmers’ Protests

It was in September last year that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe laid the foundation stone in Gujarat for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor – the bullet train project.

However, contrary to the expectations, the project is not off to a flying start.

The work on the ground for this Rs 1.08 lakh crore project began in December 2017, but since then much of the development has been hampered by protests against land acquisitions done mostly by farmers and tribal communities in both Maharashtra and Gujarat. In May 2018, around 50,000 farmers from nearly 60 villages protested against the high-speed rail, according to The Hindu. Read more

Courtesy: The Quint

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