| SooperKanoon Citation | sooperkanoon.com/1046399 |
| Court | Madhya Pradesh High Court |
| Decided On | Mar-06-2013 |
| Appellant | Bhawani Singh |
| Respondent | The State of Madhya Pradesh |
W.P. No. 3511 Of 2013 6.3.2013 Shri Akshay Dharmadhikari, learned counsel for the petitioner.
Shri Samdarshi Tiwari, learned Government Advocate for respondent State of M.P. on advance notice.
Heard.
Order dated 8.2.2013 and hearing notice dated 26.2.2013 is being assailed vide this petition.
By impugned order dated 8.2.2013 State Government has rejected the application under Rule 9 (2) of the Mineral Concession Rules, 1960 as for a minor mineral, viz., Granite an application under 1960 Rules was not tenable. Righly so. Rule 9 of 1960 Rules provides for application for prospecting license and its renewal in respect of land in which the mineral vests in the Central Government.
Whereas, for minor mineral an application under Rule 21 read with Rule 22 is applicable of Minor Mineral Rules, 1996 is applicable. Though it is contended on behalf of petitioner that the State Government ought to have ignored the mistake occurred in filing application which actually was for Granite, i.e, minor mineral and not Laterite (major mineral) and that before rejecting the application an opportunity ought to have been granted to the petitioner to rectify the mistake as contemplated under Rule 19 (2) of 1996 Rules, which stipulates “(2) Where it appears that the application is No. complete in all material particular is not accompanied by the required documents, the Collector or any other Officer authorised by him in his behalf shall by a notice served by registered post in writing, requiring the applicant to make good the omission or as the case may be, to furnish the documents, not later than 30 (Thirty) days from the date of communication of the said notice. An application for the grant of renewal of a quarry lease made under rule 9 shall not be refused by the Sanctioning Authority only on the ground that application is not complete in all material particulars or is not accompanied by the documents.”
Close reading of the above clause reveals that it operates in a different field and not in respect of application under 1960 Rules. Therefore, the provisions of Rule 19 (2) of 1996 Rules are not attracted in the case. It is further urged that since form for major mineral being similar to that for minor mineral the same should have been considered.
Contention have no force because it is the petitioner who had chosen to apply under the Mineral Concession Rules, 1960 and not under Madhya Pradesh Minor Mineral Rules, 1996 and if the State Government has considered and rejected the same, the decision cannot be faulted with on a ground that the State Government ought to have treated the application as under Rule 1996. The petitioner has to blame himself. In respect of relief sought for vide paragraph 7.3 for a direction to the respondents to take a decision on a perspecting license application of the petitioner dated 27.12.2013 without being influenced by the order dated 8.2.2013, the same is being mentioned to be rejected at the outset as there is no application dated 27.12.2013 on record.
In view whereof no interference is caused. Petition fails and is dismissed.
(SANJAY YADAV) JUDGE Vivek Tripathi