Taking strong exception to Kerala’s reported “unilateral” action in ordering real time monitoring of Mullaperiyar Dam along with the Centre without Tamil Nadu’s consent, the Chief Minister, Ms J. Jayalalithaa, today slammed it as a “blatant violation” of the principle of federalism and constitutional framework.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, she referred to reports of Kerala deciding “unilaterally” to install real time monitoring system for water build up, calling it yet another attempt to exacerbate fears in Kerala about its safety.

The Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (Fimi) favours re-opening of mines categorised as A and B in Karnataka.

“The Supreme Court has stopped all iron ore mines in Karnataka. We understand that the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has now finished the survey of all mines and classified them into A B and C categories. We are hopeful that at least the mines in A and B categories be allowed to open,” said Mr Basant Poddar, Chairman, Fimi-South.

State-owned NTPC Ltd’s capacity addition target of 66,000 mega watt for the Twelfth Plan period could take a knocking as legal hurdles hold up the placement of equipment orders for key projects slated to come up over the next five years. The company has been unable to go ahead with the placement of equipment orders for four super-critical projects in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar as its bulk tender floated in 2009 for the supply of 11 boilers and 11 turbines of 660 MW each has been stuck in court.

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan high court has taken a serious note of illegal mining taking place in the state on a largescale, especially in the green belts and has constituted a special investigation team headed by Justice K S Choudhary, a former judge of Rajasthan High Court.

"The special investigation team constituted by the court has been asked to file a detailed report and visit sites of mining in the state.

Apanel set up by the Supreme Court to investigate Karnataka’s illegal mining mess has made some important recommendations. It says 49 licences are patently illegal and should be scrapped. Another 72 mining companies should be fined for operating outside sanctioned areas. It also asks for Karnataka’s iron ore output to be capped at 30 million tonnes, down a third from its 45-million-tonne level till the court banned all mining in the state. These strictures are welcome: they could help restart mining in the state and bring Karnataka’s crony capitalism to heel.

The Odisha government is considering electronic auctions for iron ore mined in the state as resource-rich but cash-starved states seek to increase their precious revenue to counter rampant illegal mining. A senior state government official told ET that such a proposal is being considering but is at a preliminary stage. Odisha produces about a third of the country’s iron ore leading with players such as Tata Steel, Steel Authority of India, Birla’s Essel Mining, Adhunik Metaliks all owning mines within the state.

New Delhi In what may hit steel and mining companies in Karnataka, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) in its report to the Supreme Court has recommended that the iron ore mining in Bellary district should be capped at 25 million tonne (mt), whereas for other districts Chitradurga and Tumkur, a ceiling of 5 mt should be imposed.

Finally it is victory for environmentalists, especially for Dharwad-based NGO Samaja Parivartana Samudaya, which questioned the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education's (ICFRE) suggestion to exploit mining reserves in the Western Ghats.

The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) in its report submitted to the court on February 3 rejected the suggestion by noting that “ICFRE has gone totally out of context and beyond its terms of reference.”

‘Greed of a few people putting ecology in peril’

The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) on Monday recommended cancellation of 49 mining leases in three districts of Karnataka, including some belonging to both BJP and Congress politicians.

The Supreme Court today sought the Centre's response on conducting an independent inquiry into alleged illegal clinical trials of untested drugs by pharmaceutical companies in various states. The court issued a notice to the Centre as also to the Health Ministry and the Medical Council of India seeking their replies on a public interest litigation alleging that the country is being used for illegal clinical trials by the multinational corporation because laws are not implemented strictly.