JP Power Ventures, which was granted licences for sand mining in Andhra Pradesh during the YSR Congress Party government led by former Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, on Thursday appeared to acknowledge that violations had taken place in the past.
The submission was made during a Supreme Court hearing in the high-profile case concerning alleged illegal sand mining during the YSRCP regime.
A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Karol and A. G. Masih heard arguments from JP Power Ventures and the Andhra Pradesh government before reserving its decision on whether the matter should be sent back to the National Green Tribunal.
The case has been posted for further hearing on August 11.
Appearing for JP Power Ventures, senior counsel argued that the National Green Tribunal should determine who was responsible for the alleged illegal sand-mining operations.
The counsel submitted that the company held licences for only seven sand quarries and had already deposited a penalty of Rs 7 crore for violations of sand-mining rules.
He further argued that the remaining quarry licences, for which the NGT had imposed penalties, were registered in the name of the state government.
Therefore, the tribunal should first determine the ownership of those quarries and identify the party responsible before fixing liability on the company, he said.
The Andhra Pradesh government strongly opposed the company’s arguments.
Representing the state, counsel informed the Supreme Court that the NGT had already concluded that JP Power Ventures had carried out mining operations in the quarries concerned and had imposed a penalty of Rs 18 crore.
The state argued that there was no need to send the matter back to the NGT, as the tribunal had already completed its adjudication and closed the proceedings.
According to the government, the only remaining issue was the Supreme Court’s final decision on the penalty imposed by the tribunal.
After hearing both sides, the bench said it would decide at the next hearing whether the matter should be remanded to the NGT or retained by the Supreme Court for adjudication.
The case was adjourned to August 11.
