Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 4: In a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a social activist Ankur Sharma seeking cancellation of mining lease/quarrying permit for River Ravi issued under J&K Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1962, Division Bench of State High Court comprising Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar and Justice BS Walia today issued notice to Law Secretary and Deputy Commissioner Kathua with the direction to file response before next week.
The petitioner is also seeking direction to the respondents to cancel the Consent Orders issued to the stone crushers operating in River Ravi under Sections 25/26 of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and under Section 21 of the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
He has also prayed before the Division Bench for framing and notifying new Minor Mineral Rules within a reasonable time period which are required to be put into force under the ‘ratio’ of the Supreme Court judgment in Deepak Kumar Versus State of Haryana, also seeking direction to the State Vigilance Organization (SVO) to conduct a thorough investigation and file periodic status reports before the court into the abuse of official position in the grant and renewal of Mining Lease/Quarrying Permits for river Ravi.
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