‘Governor can prevent auction of SCCL coal blocks’
Singareni Girijana Employees Association honorary president B Ramesh said that according to Article 244, 5th schedule (paragraph 5 (2) (b)) of the Constitution, the Governor has the power to retrospect the laws made in parliament and assemblies and deny implementation of them in agency areas.
Peddapalli: The Governor has discretionary powers to prevent the auction of the Singareni coal blocks in agency areas, according to Singareni Girijana Employees Association honorary president B Ramesh informed.
In a statement here, Ramesh said that according to Article 244, 5th schedule (paragraph 5 (2) (b)) of the Constitution, the Governor has the power to retrospect the laws made in parliament and assemblies and deny implementation of them in agency areas. According to the above said article, mining leases, mining and land transfers would not be done by private persons in agency areas. Only government agencies should do all these activities in agency areas, he said.
The Supreme Court had also made it clear in the Samatha case judgment in 1997. The apex court mentioned it in its judgment paragraph 87, 115 and 117, he said.
The union government has started the allocation of coal blocks to private persons by bringing Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act 2015. Stating that no act would prevent the discretionary powers of the Governor, he made it clear that it was possible to prevent the implementation of the MMDR Act in agency areas if a law was amended in the State assembly.
There was a possibility that Singareni would get all its coal blocks since a majority of its coal mines were located in agency areas. So, all the trade unions and political parties, which are agitating against the auction of coal blocks, should convince the State government to amend a law through the Governor, Ramesh said.