HC stays land acquisition process for Jindal mines

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan high court on Friday stayed the acquisition of 20 sq kilometre area in five villages around Bhilwara city being undertaken by the state government for Jindal Saw Ltd's (JSL) gold and iron ore mines. The order came on a PIL and a number of other writ petitions filed by local villagers of five villages - Suras, Pur, Dhulkhera, Malola and Samodi - where 1258.05 bigha land is being sought to be acquired under the Land Acquisition Act for captive mining by JSL."It was brought to the notice of the bench that the land is being acquired in violation of the provision contained in Land Revenue Act as also the Mines and Mineral Concession Rules. It was argued that the land belong to farmers and land holders and can be put to mining use only if the consent has been obtained from the land holders. However, the land is being forcibly acquired," said Abhinav Sharma, counsel for the petitioner.Observing that the land cannot be acquired under the prevalent law the single judge bench of Justice R S Rathore said, "The state government is directed not to proceed with the said acquisition till further orders." In the meantime, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) filed the final report stating that the mines do not contain gold but has 72.4% pure iron. The report also raised a serious question mark on the previous surveys conducted in the area which showed excessive availability of copper, lead and zinc in the area."The samples examined by GSI reveal that the copper cannot be extracted economically and the maximum value of lead and zinc together in the 18 samples examined by GSI is 1.41% only. Gold cannot be extracted economically with the present state of technology," reads the report.The report also revealed that the main mineral in the area is iron from two ore types - hematite and magnetite - and it is only the latter that is being extracted by the Jindal company while the remaining is being thrown as waste material (tailing). The Central government also filed a reply in the case stating that relaxation for allotment of mines has been granted only on the basis of the recommendations made by the state government and the GSI reports from 1969 to 1976. The state government had recommended the lease to JSL on the ground that the company has technical collaboration with JSPL which is owned by Naveen Jindal, the Congress MP from Haryana.However, the GSI inquiry team in its final report filed on Friday raised serious question on its earlier reports based on which the area was opened for calling mining blocks of lead, zinc and copper as these minerals were found in traces in the belt.The petitioners have alleged that the lease has been allotted in a clandestine manner and the same should be cancelled. To the other demand that a CBI inquiry should be ordered into case, the court directed the JSL company; secretary mines (Union government) and the state government to reply by October 30.