C VENKATAPPA Vs. STATE OF KARNATAKA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) These 11 petitions involving similar and akin issues have been considered together and are taken up for final disposal at this stage itself by way of this common order.

(2.) The common features of these petitions are that the petitioners herein had filed respective applications seeking grant of quarry lease. Such applications have been rejected essentially on the ground that no objection certificates from the revenue/forest authorities as also the technical reports were not obtained or were not received.

(3.) For ready reference, the facts relating to W.P.No.43235/2017 may be noticed. The petitioner herein filed the application on 10.06.2015 in prescribed format-AQL along with prescribed fees, security deposit, GPS sketch etc., while seeking grant of quarry lease to extract ornamental stones over an area of 10 acres in Government land bearing Survey No.46 of Shambhonahalli Village in Madhugiri Taluk, Tumakuru District. The application was rejected by way of the endorsement dated 11.09.2017, essentially on the ground that as per the amended Karnataka Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1994 ('the Rules'), all such applications, for which no objection certificates and reports required under Rule 8(5) of the Karnataka Minor Mineral Concession (Amendment) Rules, 2016 were not received earlier to 12.08.2016, were to be considered ineligible.