Court: States and UTs to get approval from Environment Ministry for Mining Activities

The Supreme Court of India on 1 March 2012 ruled that the states and Union Territories could now grant leases for mining minor minerals in less than 5 hectares and to renew them they needs prior approval from the Union Environment Ministry.

A special forest bench of justices K S Radhakrishnan and C K Prasad directed the states and Union Territories to follow various recommendations and guidelines framed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests in its March 2010 report. The bench also asked the states and UTs to submit compliance reports before the court within six months.  
 
The Supreme court gave the ruling while dealing with the auction notice issued by the Haryana Government on 3 June and 8 August 2011 and the alleged illegal mining in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.