Agreeing to hear a plea against ?discontinuation? of the Justice MB Shah Commission, the Supreme Court on Tuesday sought a response from the Centre as to why an extension should not be given to the panel looking into mining illegalities in the country.
A bench headed by Justice A K Patnaik issued notice to the government on an application filed by a Goa Foundation, an NGO, contending that either the Centre be directed to extend the tenure of the panel or another commission under the chairmanship of Justice Shah be formed to inquire all aspects of mining issues in the country. The term of the commission, which was set up in November 2010 to look into illegal mining of iron ore and manganese across the country, ended on October 16.
The petition stated that ?the decision not to grant extension to the Shah Commission, as was sought by the commission itself, is clearly malafide since it had become clear that the work of the commission was affecting the interests of big corporates and mining barons, as well as of the top politicians and ministers in the country.?
Counsel Prashant Bhushan argued that the Commission was formed to inquire into ?all aspects of illegal mining and other mining-related issues in the country, especially in Chhattisgarh and Odisha… and to submit its reports to this court?.
After its findings in Goa were made public in September 2010, holding both the central and the previous Congress-led state government responsible for the rampant illegal mining, the government ?malafidely? wound up the panel on October 16, it said, adding its reports had exposed ?illegal mining? and that had led to banning of extractions of minerals in Goa.
?Hence, decision to close the commission…will expose the collusion of government officials in the loot of public resources and the inability of the ministry of mines to control it,? the plea said.