Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957

The Supreme Court examined the Cess and Other Taxes on Minerals (Validation) Act, 1992 to determine whether it merely validated cess and tax already collected under invalid State laws or also authorised fresh levy and collection of amounts due up to 4 April 1991. The Court held that the Act validates only the levy and …

The appellants, who collected and sold seashells from the Tamil Nadu coast, were directed by the State Government to obtain mining leases and pay royalty on the basis that seashells were classified as "lime shell", a major mineral under the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957. The appellants chall…

The Supreme Court, hearing a civil appeal filed by the Mineral Area Development Authority against the Steel Authority of India, noted a conflict between two earlier decisions—one by a five‑Judge Bench in State of West Bengal v. Kesoram Industries Ltd. and another by a seven‑Judge Bench in India Cement Ltd. v. State of …

S.A. Rasheed applied in 1980 for a quarry lease of pink granite covering 300 acres. A lease was initially granted for 100 acres on 6 January 1981 and corrected to 300 acres on 6 June 1981, but before a lease deed could be executed, Rule 3(A) of the Karnataka Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1969, which barred private gr…

The Orissa Mining Corporation issued a series of Notice Inviting Tenders (NITs) for raising, calibration and transport of iron ore. In NIT‑85 the corporation amended eligibility clause 8(vii) by removing a six‑month overlapping margin and clause 8(i) by excluding experience with minor minerals. Two appellants, M/s. S.S…

The Special Area Development Authority (SADA) of Korba, created under the Madhya Pradesh Nagar Tatha Gram Nivesh Adhiniyam, 1973, levied property tax on Western Coalfields Ltd., Bharat Aluminium Co. Ltd. and other government‑owned companies, despite an agreement that SADA would not tax them and claims that the companie…

The appellant obtained a prospecting licence and later a mining lease for an area in Goa after the territory was annexed by India. Respondent 1 had purchased four Portuguese "Titles of Manifest" before annexation and had applied for mining concessions, which were later deemed to have lapsed by the Indian authorities. H…

The appellants, companies engaged in iron and steel production, entered into Memorandums of Understanding with the State Government of Jharkhand for mining leases of iron ore in the Ghatkuri area. The State Government recommended their applications to the Central Government for prior approval. However, upon discovering…

The Government of Orissa acquired land for a railway line and handed it to the Railway Administration, which extracted rock cut spoils and earth (minor minerals) for laying the track. The State’s revenue authorities demanded royalty and cess under the Orissa Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1990. The Railway Administrat…

The appellants, dealers in limeshell, held a dealer's licence under the Kerala Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1967, issued pursuant to Section 15 of the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957. Their licence renewal was conditioned on two restrictions: (i) the minerals stocked must be purchased only …

Saurashtra Cement and Chemical Industries Ltd, a cement manufacturer, held a mining lease for limestone and was required to pay royalty as per the Second Schedule of the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957. The Central Government issued several notifications under Section 9(3) fixing and amending …

The dispute concerned the lease of 40 acres of limestone slab in Kurnool district under the Andhra Pradesh Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1966. The original lessee applied for renewal but withdrew, after which his son applied for 18 acres and the appellant labour cooperative society applied for the whole 40 acres; bot…

Ferro Alloys Corp. Ltd (FACOR) sought a mining lease for chromite in Sukinda Valley after the Central Government, following a high‑power expert committee (Sharma Committee), reduced the area previously granted to Tata Iron & Steel Co. (TISCO). The Committee assessed the needs of all claimants, including FACOR, and the …

The appellants, successors of Girasdars and Barkhalidars, challenged the constitutional validity of the Gujarat Amendment to the Bombay Land Revenue Code, which vested all mines, minerals and quarries in the State and provided compensation based on the average of three years' net income. They argued that the amendment …

The State of Tamil Nadu appealed against a Madras High Court order that struck down Rules 8D, 19B and part of Rule 19A of the Tamil Nadu Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1959. The State argued that giving preference to State Government companies or corporations in granting quarrying leases for certain granites was a val…

The State of Andhra Pradesh had granted mining leases to its corporation and, with its permission, sub‑leases to private parties. The State later withdrew permission for the sub‑leases, leading the sub‑lessees to file writ petitions alleging illegal cancellation and seeking compensation. The High Court held the sub‑lea…

The Supreme Court upheld the Himachal Pradesh High Court’s decision allowing a writ petition under Article 226 despite the existence of statutory remedies. Gujarat Ambuja Cement Ltd. was held to be a "prestigious cement industrial unit" entitled to sales‑tax exemption from the date it commenced commercial production (2…

The Uttar Pradesh legislature amended its 1939 Motor Spirit, Diesel Oil and Alcohol Taxation Act to levy a purchase tax on industrial alcohol, which was challenged as unconstitutional because industrial alcohol is regulated by the Central Government under the Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951. The respo…

The Supreme Court considered a writ petition filed by Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC) seeking to quash the Ministry of Environment and Forests' (MoEF) order rejecting Stage‑II forest clearance for diversion of 660.749 hectares of forest land for a bauxite mining project in the Niyamgiri hills. The Court examined whethe…

The Supreme Court examined whether mining activities within a 5 km radius of the Delhi‑Haryana border and in the Aravalli hills cause environmental degradation and whether the earlier order of 6 May 2002 banning such mining should be varied. It held that the ban remains in force until a newly constituted Monitoring Com…

The Karnataka Government, after amending Rule 3A of the Karnataka Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1969 to relax a prohibition on quarry leases for certain granites, issued an order on 18 June 1991 granting 203 quarry leases under Rule 3. The petitioners challenged these grants, arguing they violated the prohibition in …

The dispute concerned the legality of the Orissa State Government's recommendation to grant a mining lease of 84.881 hectares of chromite to Nava Bharat Ferro Alloys Ltd. (respondent ‘N’) and the subsequent approval of that recommendation by the Central Government. The appellant, Indian Charge Chrome Ltd., challenged t…

The Supreme Court examined the constitutional validity of Section 9(3) of the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957, which authorises the Central Government to fix, alter or reduce royalty rates on minerals. The appellants argued that royalty is not a tax and that Parliament lacks power under Entry …

Three coal companies (Bharat Coking Coal Ltd., Tata Iron & Steel Co. Ltd., Central Coalfields Ltd. & Coal India Ltd.) claimed ownership of coal slurry that escaped from their washery plants and settled on river beds and raiyati lands. The State of Bihar granted leases to private contractors to collect the slurry withou…

The petitioners, led by MLA Bhupesh Baghel, sought interlocutory relief to stop non‑forest activities, including mining, by licensee Anil Lunia in Chhattisgarh forests, to initiate criminal prosecution, order a CBI enquiry, recover compensation and enforce afforestation. The Supreme Court constituted a Central Empowere…

The Central Government issued a notification on 29 January 1970 raising the royalty on limestone to Rs.1.25 per tonne. The writ petitioners challenged it, arguing that the increase violated the proviso to section 9(3)(b) of the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957, which bars more than one enhancem…

The State of Orissa, owner of mineral resources, issued a notification for regranting a mining area. Applications for mining leases were filed but not disposed of within the 12‑month period prescribed by Rule 24 of the Mineral Concession Rules, 1960, and were therefore deemed refused. The applicants sought revision bef…

Central Coalfields Ltd. constructed office buildings and staff quarters in the Singrauli area without obtaining permission from the Special Areas Development Authority (SADA) under the Madhya Pradesh Nagar Tatha Gram Nivesh Adhiniyam, 1973. SADA ordered the demolition of the structures under section 26 of the Adhiniyam…

The State of Madhya Pradesh enhanced the royalty payable on coal and sought recovery of the differential amount from South Eastern Coalfields Ltd. (the Coalfields) and the ultimate consumers. The Coalfields, bound by their mining lease and Mineral Concession Rules, were required to pay simple interest of 24% on delayed…

The Supreme Court examined multiple appeals concerning the allocation of chromite mining leases in Orissa. The State Government had recommended, under Section 17A(2) of the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957, that a block of 436.295 hectares be reserved for exploitation by the state‑controlled Or…

The case concerned the validity of mining leases granted by the State of Andhra Pradesh to non-tribal persons in scheduled areas, including reserved forests. The appellant, a society, challenged these leases as violating the Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Area Land Transfer Regulation, 1959, the Forest (Conservation) Act, 19…

The Supreme Court examined writ petitions filed by former coal‑mine workers alleging that Section 3(3) of the Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Amendment Act, 1976, which bans coal mining by any agency other than those specified, violated Article 14 by discriminating against them. The petitioners also claimed that private m…

The State of Orissa leased 569.6 acres to the Steel Authority of India for extracting limestone and dolomite, with an agreement that royalty be paid on the minerals extracted. The Authority processed the run‑of‑mine material to remove waste before weighing the product, and argued that royalty should be calculated on th…

The appellant was granted a mining lease in 1980, while the late Dr. Sarojini Pradhan, who had also applied for a lease, filed a writ petition challenging the grant. Dr. Pradhan died during the pendency of the petition and her legal heirs were allowed to substitute her. The Orissa High Court set aside the appellant's l…

M/s A.H. Jaffar and Sons applied for a bauxite mining lease in Goa, but the application was not disposed of within the 12‑month period prescribed by Rule 11 of the Mineral Concession Rules and was deemed rejected. The respondents filed a revision under Section 30 of the Mines and Minerals Regulation and Development Act…

The appellants, former zamindars, challenged the vesting of their estates in the State of Uttar Pradesh under the U.P. Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950, which they claimed left their rights to work mines intact. The Collector issued notices to stop mining and offered leases governed by the U.P. Minor Mine…

The Quarry Owners Association, holders of quarry leases for minor minerals in Bihar, challenged two State notifications (1991 and 1994) that raised royalty rates, arguing that the State exceeded its delegated authority under Section 15 of the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957 and violated the 12…

The petitioners, holders of jenmi rights in Malabar, Kerala, challenged the State's demand for royalties on minerals extracted from their lands, arguing that they owned the sub‑soil. The Kerala High Court held that the minerals belonged to the State and dismissed the writ petitions. On appeal, the Supreme Court examine…

The appellant, Ram & Shyam Co., submitted the highest bid for a minor‑mineral quarry in Haryana, but the State Government, invoking Rule 30(4) of the Punjab Minor Mineral Concession Rules, declined to confirm the bid and instead awarded the lease to a fourth respondent who had made a secret higher offer to the Chief Mi…

The Supreme Court heard a petition filed under Article 32 by the environmental NGO Tarun Bharat Sangh, seeking to stop illegal mining in the Alwar Tiger Reserve, which is also a sanctuary, national park and protected forest under various statutes. The Court examined whether the mining leases granted by the Rajasthan Go…

The petitioners challenged a Gujarat Government notification that amended Rule 21 of the Gujarat Minor Minerals Rules, raising the royalty on Black Trap and Hard Murrum from Rs 4 to Rs 7 per metric tonne. They argued that the royalty, being a tax, must be used only for mineral development under Entry 50 of the Constitu…

The case concerned several Government Orders (G.O.s) relating to the lease of surplus agricultural lands in Andhra Pradesh for mining galaxy granite. The appellants argued that G.O. No.1290, which earmarked land for mining leases to private firms, created a vested right that could not be withdrawn, and that the State's…

The case concerned the acquisition of about 5,000 bighas of land in Masoodpur for the construction of Jawaharlal Nehru University. The Union of India appealed against the Delhi High Court’s award of compensation based on questionable valuation methods, the grant of interest during a stay, and the allowance of amendment…

The Supreme Court examined a group of writ petitions challenging the Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Amendment Act, 1976, which terminated existing coal mining leases and barred private persons from carrying out coal mining operations. The petitioners, lessees of coal and composite (coal‑fireclay) mines, argued that the a…

The Supreme Court examined Lafarge Umiam Mining Pvt. Ltd.'s limestone mining project in East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, where the company had obtained environmental clearance in 2001 based on a certificate stating the land was not forest. Subsequent inspections by forest officials in 2006‑2007 identified forest cover, lea…

The State of Orissa granted a mining lease to MESCO Steels Ltd. for iron ore, but later a Director of Mines issued an intra‑departmental communication recommending reduction of the lease area due to overlapping claims and forest land. The State then issued a show‑cause notice to MESCO, which the company challenged in a…

The petitioners, holders of quarry and mining leases for minor minerals in Gujarat, challenged a series of state notifications and a circular that altered rates of royalty and dead rent and classified building stones. The core issue was whether Section 15(1) of the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1…

The State of Tamil Nadu, exercising its power under Section 15 of the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957, issued Rule 8‑C of the Tamil Nadu Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1959, which barred private persons from obtaining leases for quarrying black granite and permitted only the State or its whol…

The Supreme Court examined the prosecution of several senior officials, including the former Water Resources Minister of Madhya Pradesh, for alleged criminal conspiracy and misconduct under the Prevention of Corruption Act in connection with the Hasdeo Bango dam project. The respondents were accused of sanctioning extr…

The Supreme Court examined the constitutional validity of cess levied by the States of Orissa, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh on the basis of royalty from mining lands. It held that the cess could not be classified as land revenue, a tax on land, or a tax on mineral rights and therefore fell outside Entries 45, 49 and 50 of …

The Supreme Court examined the validity of Rule 39 of the Tamil Nadu Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1959, which permits the State Government to grant or renew quarry leases in special cases for mineral development and public interest. The petitioners argued that the rule conferred unguided, uncanalised discretion viol…

The dispute concerned a marble mining lease in Rajasthan where an earlier lease granted to Babula Modi was deemed revoked for failure to execute the formal lease deed within three months. Respondent No.5 applied for the same area on 20 October 1982 and again on 19 January 1983, both of which were rejected as premature.…

The original mining lease granted to Rajendra Nath Bhaskar was revoked after 13 years. Bhaskar died during the pendency of his challenge, and no substitution petition was filed by his heirs. The Madhya Pradesh High Court set aside the revocation but the lease expired, and the heirs later sought to continue mining for t…

The Supreme Court examined the constitutionality of Coal India Ltd.'s electronic auction (E‑Auction) scheme for allocating coal to non‑core sector consumers. The petitioners argued that coal is an essential commodity and that the scheme's variable pricing, lack of a fixed price, and inclusion of core‑sector entities vi…

Central Coalfields Ltd., a government company engaged in coal mining, was directed by the Certificate Officer to pay surface rent for coal‑bearing areas under the Bihar & Orissa Public Demands Recovery Act, 1914. The company contended that, pursuant to the Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition and Development) Act, 1957, the…

The Supreme Court examined petitions by the State of Madhya Pradesh and the Union of India challenging a 1991 notification that raised royalty rates on coal under Section 9(3) of the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957. The petitioners argued that Section 9(3) was an unconstitutional delegation of…