SC rejects Essel Mining plea for more time to pay Rs 1,800 cr fine

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The Supreme Court on Friday rejected the plea by Essel Mining, a part of the Aditya Birla Group, seeking extension of time to pay a fine of Rs 1,800 crore for undertaking mining activities without forest clearance violation.

"The application for direction is rejected," said the vacation bench of Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Deepak Gupta.

Essel Mining had sought time till January 2 to deposit the fine, saying that it got the notice from Odisha government just three days back. The firm was asked to deposit the fine by December 31 failing which it would not be allowed to do mining activities in Odisha.

The top court by its August 2017 order had asked the mining companies involved in violation of forest and environmental clearances to deposit, by December 31, the fine to be determined by the state government concerned.

Essel has already paid Rs 1,000 crore fine for violation of environmental clearance.

The top court had said that the amount to be raised as fine would be utilized for the benefit of tribals in the affected districts and for area development works.

--IANS

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