Punjab withdraws notifications on mining sans environment clearance

CHANDIGARH: In a significant development, the Punjab government withdrew the notifications on mining auction on Thursday without clearance from the state environment impact assessment authority (SEIAA), in operational quarries of up to five hectares. With this, the state's recent notification for auction of 115 quarries in 19 districts will also stand withdrawn.

The information was provided to the Punjab and Haryana high court by the state government counsel in pursuance to an ongoing petition on the issue. Hearing the submissions of Punjab, the court disposed of the petition. However, the contempt petition against the previous and present principal secretary (commerce and industry) would continue for defying the HC directives.

On October 3, Punjab advocate general (AG) had informed the court that the state government had decided to withdraw the notifications and had sought some time to file a formal reply in this regard. In August 2012, the high court had ordered a complete ban on mining without environmental clearance in operational quarries of up to five hectares in Punjab.

With those orders, the state can permit mining in the said areas, after obtaining the nod of SEIAA. HC had also directed SEIAA to take a decision within a period of 10 days on the request for clearance, if any received, for carrying out mining in any area less than five hectares. However, Punjab had failed to comply the orders, resulting of which the court had recently issued notices to state's two senior IAS officers, Karan Avtar Singh, principal secretary (commerce and industry); and his predecessor A R Talwar, for contempt of court.