BANGALORE: The High Court on Tuesday slammed the Mines and Geology Department for extending the sand mining lease despite agreeing not to extend the lease beyond March 31 to let the government implement sand mining policy.
"You have passed an arbitrary order to help some and defeat some others which is discriminatory," the division bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice H G Ramesh told the department.They further said: "[From] where did you get the authority to extend the sand mining lease after submitting before the court that the lease will not be extended beyond March 31? You had also submitted that you will repay proportionate lease amount to those who have obtained sand mining lease for a period that is beyond March 31. We have dismissed at least 50 petitions based on that submission... Why was it [the lease] extended to the people whose lease period has expired on September 2010?" ENS
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