HC permits govt to grant licence for sand mining

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Monday permitted the government to go ahead with the grant of licence to Kerala Rare Earths and Minerals Limited (KREML) to mine mineral sand from Kayamkulam Pozhi.

The court, however, directed that the mining should not be done without the permission of the court. The move to grant licence to the joint sector KREML had been challenged by VV Minerals, Tuticorin.

A single judge dismissed the petition saying that it was premature, as permission of the central government and the Atomic Energy Commission had not been obtained by the state government to grant licence to KREML, a company jointly launched by the public sector Indian Rare Earths Ltd, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation and Kerala Minerals and Rutiles Ltd. Now the central government has granted consent to the government to grant licence.