The Rajasthan High Court directed the Mining Engineer, Department of Mines and Geology, Amet, District Rajsamand to hold an inquiry on the complaint made by the petitioners regarding alleged illegality in grant of lease.

The Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice Kuldeep Mathur disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed complaining that the leases have been granted in prohibited area in violation of provisions contained in the then existing Rajasthan Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1986 (now substituted by the Rajasthan Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 2017).

It is submitted that the leases, which are challenged before the Court, are not granted recently but long back 10 years before the date of filing of the writ petition. The direction passed by this Court to hold an inquiry in the complaint shall be examined by the competent authorities of the department and decision would be taken in the matter one way or the other at the earliest.

Further petitioner contended that three months’ time may be granted to get the complaint examined and the decision to be taken.

Considering the submission of the State Counsel, the Court did not inclined to keep this PIL pending but to dispose of the same with the direction to the Mining Engineer, Department of Mines and Geology, Amet, District Rajsamand to hold an inquiry on the complaint made by the petitioners regarding alleged illegality in grant of lease. He shall decide the complaint after hearing private respondents preferably within three months , the Court directed.