Uttarakhand High Court
WPMS/1069/2020 on 30 March, 2022
IN THE HIGH COURT OF UTTARAKHAND
AT NAINITAL
THE ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE SHRI SANJAYA KUMAR MISHRA
AND
JUSTICE SHRI RAMESH CHANDRA KHULBE
30th MARCH, 2022
WRIT PETITION (M/S) NO. 1069 OF 2020
Between:
M/s Shiv Shakti Stone Crusher
and another ...... Petitioners
and
State of Uttarakhand & others ...... Respondents
Counsel for the petitioners : Mr. Jitendra Chaudhary, Mr.
Nikhil Singhal and Mr. Nikhil
Sabri, proxy counsel for
Mr. Piyush Garg, learned
counsel
Counsel for respondents : Mr. A.S. Rawat, learned Special
Counsel assisted by Mr. Pradeep
Joshi, learned Additional Chief
Standing Counsel for the State
WITH
WRIT PETITION (M/S) NO. 2197 OF 2020
Between:
M/s Shiv Shakti Stone Crusher ...... Petitioner
and
State of Uttarakhand & others ...... Respondents
WITH
2
WRIT PETITION (M/S) NO. 2200 OF 2020
Between:
M/s Vardhman Stone Crusher ...... Petitioner
and
State of Uttarakhand & others ...... Respondents
Counsel for the petitioners : Mr. Nikhil Singhal and
Mr. Nikhil Sabri, proxy counsel
for Mr. Piyush Garg, learned
counsel
Counsel for respondents : Mr. A.S. Rawat, learned Special
Counsel assisted by Mr. Pradeep
Joshi, learned Additional Chief
Standing Counsel for the State
Upon hearing the learned counsel, the Court
made the following:
JUDGMENT: (per the Acting Chief Justice Shri Sanjaya Kumar Mishra)
Since identical questions of law and facts are
involved in the aforementioned writ petitions, therefore,
the same are taken up together and are being decided
by this common judgment for the sake of brevity and
convenience.
2) In all these writ petitions, the petitioners have
sought writ in the nature of certiorari restraining the
respondents from enforcing and processing the
impugned show-cause notices (contained as Annexure -
3
3, Annexure -1 and Annexure -2, respectively to the writ
petitions), issued by the District Magistrate, Haridwar,
directing the petitioners to show cause as to why five
times of the royalty dues plus the royalty amount of
rupees two lacs shall not be realised from them, for
indulging in illegal mining.
3) The petitioners have challenged the show
cause notices issued under the provisions of the Mining
Policy. However, in 2021, a new Mining Policy has come
into existence. Regulation 14 of the new Mining Policy
stipulates that one time settlement may be made by the
State officials for any default that has taken place during
the old policy.
4) The learned counsel for the petitioners drew
attention of this Court towards Clause (5)(ka) of
Regulation 14 of the Uttarakhand Minerals (Prevention of
Illegal Mining, Transportation and storage) Regulations,
2021, which provides for 'enquiry and penalty'. Clause
(5)(ka) of said Regulations is reproduced here-in-below:
¼5½ ¼d½ ;fn Hk.Mkj.kksa esa dksbZ voS/krk ikbZ tkrh gS rks
egkfuns"kd ;k egkfuns"kd }kjk izkf/kd`r vf/kdkjh] ftykf/kdkjh ;k
ftykf/kdkjh }kjk izkf/kd`r vf/kdkjh ¼miftykf/kdkjh ds Lrj ls vU;wu
u gks½ }kjk Hk.Mkj.k LFky dks lht djrs gq, vuqKk/kkjd dks mDr ds
laca/k esa viuk i{k 15 fnu ds Hkhrj izLrqr djus gsrq uksfVl fn;k
tk;sxk vkSj ;fn fu;r le; ds Hkhrj vuqKk/kkjd dk dksbZ Li'Vhdj.k
izkIr ugha gksrk gS vFkok vuqKk/kkjd }kjk izLrqr fd;k x;k Li'Vhdj.k
4
larks'ktud ugha ik;k tkrk gS] rks egkfuns"kd ;k egkfuns"kd }kjk
izkf/kd`r vf/kdkjh] ftykf/kdkjh ;k ftykf/kdkjh }kjk izkf/kd`r vf/kdkjh
¼miftykf/kdkjh ds Lrj ls vU;wu u gks½] }kjk voS/k [kfut dh ek=k
¼01 Vu ls 25]000 Vu rd] ij jkW;YVh dk nks xquk rFkk 25]000 Vu ls
50]000 Vu rd] ij jkW;YVh dk rhu xquk rFkk 50]000 Vu ls 1-00
yk[k Vu rd] ij jkW;YVh dk pkj xquk rFkk 01 yk[k Vu ls vf/kd]
jkW;YVh dk ikap xquk½ ds lerqY; /kujkf"k vf/kjksfir dh tk;sxhA
lEcfU/kr Hk.Mj.kdrkZ ds }kjk mDr /kujkf"k tek djk;s tkus ij [kfut
dh mDr ek=k dh fudklh ftyk [kku vf/kdkjh }kjk nh tk,xhA ,sls
voS/k Hk.Mkj.k tks fcuk vuqefr ds ik;s tkrs gSa dks lht djrs gq,
Hk.Mkfjr [kfut dh ek=k dks [kqyh uhykeh ds ek/;e ls fuLrkfjr
fd;k tk;sxk vkSj ,sls vf/kx`ghr ;k leig`r [kfut ds ifjogu gsrq
fu/kkZfjr ifjogu izi= tkjh fd;k tk;sxkA ;fn egkfuns"kd ;k
egkfuns"kd }kjk izkf/kd`r vf/kdkjh] ftykf/kdkjh ;k ftykf/kdkjh }kjk
izkf/kd`r vf/kdkjh ¼miftykf/kdkjh ds Lrj ls de dk u gks½ }kjk
vf/kjksfir /kujkf"k fu/kkZfjr ys[kk"kh'kZd esa tek u fd;s tkus vFkok
vf/kjksfir /kujkf"k ds fo:} fu;e 15 ds vUrxZr vihy
fopkjk/[email protected] u gksus ij ftyk [kku izkf/kdkjh }kjk vuqKk/kkjd
dk bZ&iksVZy cUn fd;k tk;sxk ,ao ftykf/kdkjh }kjk Lohd`r vuqKfIr
dk Ik;Zolu dj ldsxkA
blds vfrfjDr LVksu dzs"kj IykaV [email protected] IykaV
[email protected] ds Lohd`r Hk.Mkj.k LFkyksa ij {kerk ls vf/kd ek=k
esa mi[kfut dk Hk.Mkj.k ik;s tkus ij ;fn Hk.Mkj.k LFky ij vf/kd
Hk.Mkfjr fd;s x;s [kfut dk oS/k joUuk gksus ij ;k LVkWd [email protected]
&joUuk iksVZy ij rRle; nf"kZr ek=k ls de ek=k esa mi[kfut ik;k
x;k gS ;k vU; dksbZ vfu;ferrk,a ik;h x;h gks] ftlls jktLo dh
gkfu u gqbZ gks] ,sls izdj.kksa esa iwoZ esa vf/[email protected]/khu vFkZn.M
,ao jkW;YVh dh /kujkf"k dks ,d eq"r ₹ 5-00 yk[k dk vFkZn.M
vf/kjksfir dj ,sls izdj.kksa dk fuLrkj.k] egkfuns"kd] HkwrRo ,ao
[kfudeZ bdkbZ }kjk fd;k tk;sxkA
5) In that view of the matter, we dispose of the
writ petition giving liberty to the petitioners to approach
the Director, Geological and Mining Department,
Government of Uttarakhand, who happens to be the
appropriate authority, by filing a properly articulated
representation along with a certified copy of this order
within a period of fifteen days, and pray for a one time
settlement. In such an event, the learned Director,
Geological and Mining Department, Government of
5
Uttarakhand, shall take up the matter, and after
affording reasonable opportunity of hearing to the
petitioners, and such officials of the Mining Department
as may be necessary for the purpose, take a decision by
passing a reasoned and speaking order within a period of
45 days thereafter.
6) With the direction as above, aforementioned
writ petitions stand disposed of.
7) All pending applications, in these writ
petitions, also stand disposed of.
____________________________
SANJAYA KUMAR MISHRA, A.C.J.
_____________________
RAMESH CHANDRA KHULBE, J.
Dated: 30th MARCH, 2022
Negi
