JAIPUR: The Jal Mahal land lease agreement dispute reached the Supreme Court on Thursday, as was widely anticipated.

The private company, the Jal Mahal Resorts Pvt Ltd that was to lose the lease after the Rajasthan High Court declared the agreement illegal, filed a special leave petition (SLP) before the apex court, challenging the verdict passed on May 17. The SLP was mentioned before a division bench of Justice Deepak Verma and Justice SJ Mukhopadhaya that directed that the case to be listed again on Friday.

The State government on Thursday informed the High Court that it would hold negotiations with Andhra Pradesh government with regard to providing drinking water to Pavagada taluk in Tumkur district from the pipeline, part of which passes through Pavagada, laid by the neighbouring State to supply water from Tungabhadra dam in Karnataka.

The government counsel made this submission during the hearing on a PIL plea filed by the Karnataka Rashtriya Kissan Sangha and other organisations from Pavagada taluk seeking supply of drinking water through this line to their taluk which is facing water shortage.

JAIPUR: A division bench of Rajasthan high court has observed that the mining mafia is at its peak in the state and there is no effort to check them. The court made this remark while hearing a PIL filed by a Bharatpur-based advocate.

The petitioner, Battu Singh, has moved the court alleging that four politically powerful persons have been doing illegal mining in forest area in Bayan tehsil of Bharatpur. The case is being heard by Chief Justice Arun Kumar Mishra and Justice N K Jain (senior).

Chandigarh: SC orders bar on razing of any construction which has come up till May 21. In an immediate relief for those facing demolition of their buildings/ constructions in the Sukhna catchment area, the Supreme Court today ordered a stay on the demolition orders. Making it clear that the Administration authorities will not demolish any construction which has come up till May 21, a division bench of the Apex Court today also ruled that no further construction will be allowed to come up in the catchment area till further orders.

Dharwad-based non-government organisation, Samaj Parivartan Samudaya (SPS), which is the main petitioner in the public interest litigation (writ petition No. 562 of 2009) on illegal mining in Karnataka at the Supreme Court, has alleged that D K Shivakumar, former Karnataka minister, was involved in illegal mining activity.

The NGO is filing an interlocutory application in the Supreme Court on serious illegalities, irregularities and criminalities indulged in during the period 2000-2005 by Shivakumar and eight iron ore trading companies.

SHILLONG: The State Government is preparing its written submission on the jinxed Umiam-Jorabat four-lane road project to be submitted before the Gauhati High Court, following a direction from the court.

The Gauhati High Court asked the State Government to file the written submission on the basis of a PIL filed by the landowners and an NGO in opposition to the recent decision of the State Government to construct the proposed four-lane road through the Umsning Bypass.

A two-judge bench of Jabalpur high court on Friday admitted a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) regarding allotment of land to the private Chirayu Hospital in the state capital and served notices on the Madhya Pradesh government asking for a reply within four weeks.

The high court bench comprising Justice Rakesh Saxena and Justice S.C. Sinho on Friday responded to the PIL by Mr Tarun Gupta, secretary Parishram Samaj Kalyan Samiti by issueing notices to six state departments — these are departments of revenue, housing and environment, capital project administration, Medical Council of India and Chirayu Charitable Society.

New Delhi: In a fresh twist in the PIL being heard by the Delhi high court on utility of the BRT corridor, another NGO has moved court against scrapping of the project. National Alliance of People’s Movement, an umbrella organization has sought to be heard as a party to the PIL where HC has ordered a review of the utility of the corridor. Arguing against any move to scrap it, the NGO is likely to field rights lawyer Prashant Bhushan to make their case for retaining the corridor, arguing in essence that it serves the needs of the masses that use public transport.

JODHPUR: The Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday ordered halting of all mining activities in the Beri Ganga forest land, which had badly affected the catchment area of the Bal Samand Lake and its feeder canal having a length of 10 km. The court also said that the district collector, police and officials of forests and mining departments would be responsible if any mining takes place in the area in future.

A three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court on May 3 dismissed petitions filed by Medha Patkar-led Narmada Bachao Andolan to review an apex court judgment and expunge adverse remarks made against the organisation in connection with the issue of land acquisition for Omkareshwar dam project in Madhya Pradesh.

A Bench of Justices R M Lodha, Deepak Verma and B S Chauhan observed in its order that they had decided to dismiss the review petition filed by the NBA against its May 11, 2011 judgment after careful consideration of the available material.