Detailed report on bauxite mining in Orissa: SC

New Delhi, Oct 5 (UNI) The Supreme Court today directed the authorities to file a report till October 12, giving details of the contracts for bauxite mining in Orissa awarded till date.

A bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, Justices Arijit Pasayat and S H Kapadia also sought an explanation from the government regarding the environmental impact of bauxite mining in tribal areas of the state.

Mining of bauxite has been going on in tribal areas since 1986 and lands belonging to tribals have been forcibly acquired by the big industrial houses, like NALCO, Hindalco, Vedanta and Aditya and others, who have been awarded contracts for mining.

The mining also takes place in Kalahandi district of Orissa which is infamous for starvation deaths due to extreme poverty.

The Court will decide the fate of 27 applicants whose applications are pending in the Centrally Empowered Committee (CEC) for clearance in the context of bauxite mining in the tribal areas, on October 12.

UNI