Final Report on Illegal Mining in Bellary

The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) appointed by Supreme Court of India to look in to the alleged illegal iron ore mining in Bellary in Karnataka has submitted its final report to the court. The CEC has divided mining leases into three categories A, B and C, based on the extent of compliance and recommended that 45 leases be allowed to resume mining operations, after following certain conditions.

As many as 49 leases, in which the extent of illegalities were found to be excessive, have been recommended for cancellation. Associated Mining Company owned by  Gali Janardhan Reddy is also included in this list. The CEC also recommended for the suspension of seven mining leases in Obulapuram of Andhra Pradesh, till the AP-Karnataka border issue is resolved.

That 72 leases in category B for which the CEC has prescribed a reclamation and rehabilitation programme based on the ecological impact assessment report prepared by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE). Mining may be allowed to resume in category B and C leases after restoration efforts, to be undertaken by the state government through a special purpose vehicle headed by the chief secretary, are completed.

The CEC also recommended the payment of Rs. 5 crore per hectare for category C and Rs. 1 crore per hectare for category B as a penalty by lease holders involved in illegal mining. This could mean about Rs. 300 crore in revenue for the state government that would be used for rehabilitation. The Supreme Court’s forest bench is expected to take up the report at a hearing on Friday.

 

Video Source: tv9

 

 

 

Modi Is Not Our PM: Owaisi

MIM is a recognized state political party based in the Indian state of Telangana, with its head office in the old city of Hyderabad, which has its roots in the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen founded in 1927. Unlike most of the regional and national level parties, MIM party leaders ‘fight’ only for the well-being of Muslims, whereas no other party has such communal feelings. In their each and every speech, MIM leaders speak only about Muslims. If these leaders are here to fight for Muslims, then why there are no development works are happening in old city area for decades. Akbaruddin Owaisi faced criticism for making hate remarks on Narendra Modi and Hindus. Recently, his elder brother Asaduddin Owaisi made some notorious annotations. In a one-on-one debate between BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra and Asaduddin Owaisi on the topic of demonetization in a popular Hindi channel, the former left no stone unturned in exposing the latter’s communal designs. Owaisi claimed how most of the Muslim community still remains unbanked and that demonetization has caused severe inconvenience to Muslims. He even went on to say that ATM’s in Muslim-dominated areas weren’t fed enough money. He indirectly alleged that the Modi government hadn’t done anything for Muslims. Even after being pressurized Owaisi didn’t call Narendra Modi as his Prime Minister. He went on said, “Your Prime Minister…” On the other hand, Sambit spoke wisely and called Owaisi a leader of small stature because he talked only of Muslims. He said that no area was Muslim or Hindu and that all areas belonged to India. Owaisi was constantly quoting an RBI report, to which Sambit challenged him to show where the RBI had used the word ‘Muslim’. Sambit even said that if a Muslim leader speaks of Muslims it’s not an issue, but the moment a VHP leader speaks of Hindus people go crazy accusing them of imposing the Hindutva ideology. The most amazing of his counters was to Owaisi’s claims of Muslims not having been brought into the banking system. Sambit said that when banks or ATMs are to be opened in Muslim areas leaders like Owaisi shout that banking is un-Islamic and that Muslims should refrain from it! This video of debate between Sambit Patra and Asaduddin Owaisi is going viral in social media.