SC rejects Focus plea against mine allotments to Birla

The Supreme Court today dismissed Focus Energy's plea challenging the cancellation of its lease of limestone mines and their allotment to Birla Corporation by the Madhya Pradesh government.

A Bench of Justices VS Sirpurkar and TS Thakur dismissed the petition. On September 20, 2010 the Jabalpur Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court had also dismissed the petition.

The dispute is over 25 Sq Km limestone mines in the Satna district of Madhya Pradesh.

Earlier, the state government had alloted the mines to Focus Energy, but cancelled it in December 2006 citing some reasons. Later, a notification was issued.

The land was then alloted to Birla Corp, prompting Focus to move the High Court, challenging the cancellation of its lease and requesting that the subsequent notification and allotment process be set aside.

The court dismissed the petition, observing that it had approached it long after the cancellation. Focus, then, moved the Supreme Court.