Boundary no concern of CEC, says OMC

BANGALORE: The Obulapuram Mining Company owned by Karnataka Tourism Minister Gali Janardhan Reddy has sought to clarify a few specifics in the wake of the report by the Central Empowered Committee of the Supreme Court charging it with illegal mining activities in the Bellary Reserve Forest area spread across the Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka border.
In a press release, OMC managing director B V Srinivas Reddy has noted that it would be improper and premature for it to comment on the recommendations of CEC without a direction to this effect by the Supreme Court itself and it would be sub judice too. He, however, lists some observations saying that the company is `pained’ by the `distorted version’ of certain issues pertaining to it and Andhra Pradesh’s late chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.
OMC’s observations:
• The boundary dispute between two private companies is not the concern of the CEC. The said boundary dispute is already adjudicated by the Andhra Pradesh High Court. The HC judgment has become final, since no party has preferred any appeal against it.
• The CEC had issued no notice to Obulapuram Mining Company and other affected parties while preparing its report and the SC had not sought it too. The observations and recommendations were in effect made without any direction by the Supreme Court.
• Unless and until they are approved by the SC - which may or may not approve the same - the said observations and recommendations continue to be the views of CEC and cannot be called as an order of the SC.