We were not given a hearing: Reddy’s mining firm.

Mangalore Today

Bangalore, Nov 22 : Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC), owned by Karnataka Tourism Minister G. Janaradhan Reddy, Saturday said it was not given an opportunity to present its version by the Supreme Court’s Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which recommended the controversial firm be asked stop illegal mining in Andhra Pradesh.

"The committee had no jurisdiction to submit such a report as there was no direction from the Supreme Court to that effect. The CEC is not even a party to the writ petition," company managing director B.V. Srinivas Reddy said in a statement from Hyderabad.

In its report, submitted to the apex court, the committee said OMC had encroached upon mineral-rich areas outside their mining leases and was carrying out large-scale illegal mining in non-allotted reserved forest areas adjoining Obalapuram and H.Siddapuram villages in the border district of Ananthapur in Andhra Pradesh.

Terming the report hasty and biased, the company said the committee’s observations and recommendations were made without giving it an opportunity to present its version of facts.

"It is an ex-parte report since OMC was not heard before making such a report," the company said in the statement.

The company also accused the committee of preparing the report unilaterally despite the Andhra Pradesh government requesting it Oct 5 to issue notices to it and other affected parties.

"For instance, it is clear that the prayers extracted in the first page of the CEC report and its recommendations have no relationship," the company pointed out.

As the matter is sub-judice before the Supreme Court, the company said it was restraining from making any adverse comments on the CEC report.

Noting that the report was contrary to the Andhra Pradesh High Court judgements in 2008-09 and the Supreme Court order of Aug 24, the company said issues relating to environment were not dealt with.