Telangana HC Rebukes Mines Dept Over MDL Delay

 Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday reprimanded the mines department’s officials for nearly 10-year-long delay in taking up a revision petition on the mineral dealer lease (MDL).

Justice C.V. Bhasker Reddy was dealing with a connected writ plea filed by KMS Constructions Private Limited complaining that its application for mineral dealer lease (MDL) was rejected on the ground that normal seigniorage fee along with penalty was not paid.

Senior counsel L. Ravichander, appearing for the petitioner, argued that the actions of the respondent authorities in rejecting the petitioner’s application in view of pending dues was illegal as the revision authority’s direction for a detailed enquiry into the matter is still pending.

The senior counsel also pointed out the inordinate delay on the part of the respondent authorities in conducting detailed enquiry despite orders passed in revision proceedings in 2014. He further pointed out that the rejection of the petitioner’s latest MDL application by the respondent without awaiting for the outcome of the remand proceedings is indicative of a prejudiced and biased stance against the petitioner. The rejection was thus perverse and unsustainable in law.

After hearing the senior counsel appearing for the petitioner and the government pleader for the respondent authorities, the judge lamented on the delay in concluding the remand proceedings and remarked that heavy costs may be imposed in future, if the respondent authorities are found to be indefinitely keeping matters pending.

The judge also directed the deputy director of mines and geology to take up the remand proceedings within a period of four weeks and thereafter consider the petitioner’s MDL application within three weeks