-The Hindustan Times Tribals in colourful and traditional attire danced in joy as the last of the 12 gram sabhas on Monday overwhelmingly voted against the proposed bauxite Mining by Vedanta Group's alumina refinery plant in Odisha's Niyamgiri hills. With this all the 12 gram sabhas have voted against the proposed bauxite Mining in the hills, driving in the proverbial last nail in Vedanta's fading Mining hopes. Like all previous gram sabhas, the...

-The Times of India LUCKNOW: Illegal Mining in Uttar Pradesh between 2005-11 caused a loss of Rs 1,400 crore to the exchequer, says a draft report of the comptroller & auditor general. The report, prepared on the activities of state geology and Mining directorate, belies state government's claims on checking illegal Mining and indicates that illegal Mining is widespread. It reveals several procedural gaps in legal quarrying as well. The auditors, who...

-The Hindu Tribal Affairs Minister Kishore Chandra Deo has criticised the Union and State governments for disinvesting in public sector companies to permit private entities to mine in tribal-dominated Schedule V areas, calling the move unconstitutional. In a letter to Environment and Forests Minister Jayanthi Natarajan, Mr. Deo said, "Circumventing the constitutional provisions through disinvestment is being done in a stealthy manner through decisions of the government instead of adhering to...

-Outlook The Uttar Pradesh government today reluctantly admitted before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that illegal sand Mining was going on in the state and not even a single environmental clearance granted for it in Gautam Budh Nagar district. "We (UP government) have not caught anyone till now. It's there Lordship. Yes it (illegal sand Mining) is going on," the counsel, appearing for Uttar Pradesh government and its Chief Secretary, said. A five-member...

-Outlook Expressing concern over the recent tragedy in Uttarakhand, the Supreme Court today prohibited setting up of any new hydroelectric power project in the state and directed the Centre to constitute an expert body to study environmental degradation caused by such projects. The court directed the Ministry of Environment and Forests and the Uttarakhand government not to grant any further environmental or forest clearance for any hydroelectric power project until further orders. "We...