that were filed for mining leases in fifth schedule areas, specially in the southern part of the state.
According to sources in the mining department, in February last year, the Raje government had given permission for mining in these areas after withdrawing a ban. The order had come after a seven-year break on mining in these parts following a Supreme Court order in the Samatha vs Andhra Pradesh case.
No sooner was the ban lifted that the floodgates were opened with more than 3,000 applications for mining of various kinds of minerals pouring in. The districts where mining was most sought were Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Dungarpur, Banswara and Sirohi for minerals like limestone, lead, gold, copper and marble.
"The applications were in various stages of scrutiny. While some applications of those who had been mining in the area earlier were being considered for renewal, there were proposals of attaching some pre-conditions for granting new leases. However, now we have been given to understand by senior officials of the department that we should not act any more on these applications, that they should be kept pending till further orders," an official said.
Preference for mining lease was to be given to those parties who promised to add value to the mineral extracted from the areas as well as to those who promised to give at least 50% employment to locals. Interested parties were to also do a health insurance of its workforce.
"Though officially we have not been issued any order, we have been given to understand that we should not implement any of the leases that had come for mining in the fifth schedule area," said R K Hirat, additional director (headquarter), directorate of mines and geology, Udaipur.
The stance of the present government of not acting on these applications has brought cheer to many NGOs in the state working in the field of environment. Most of these NGOs were against the granting of lease rights in these areas as, they felt, it would spell doom here.
The Raje government stand was being seen as a ploy to please the big non-tribal mining lobby before the elections. "Allowing mining in these areas would have spelt doom. Some other states which have withdrawn such bans have had to face disastrous consequences. It is indeed good thinking on the part of the Congress government to have stopped the issuance of lease for it will not only protect the local people but also the mineral in these areas for the future generation," said Rana Sengupta, managing trustee of the Mine Labour Protection Campaign, an NGO working for the cause of tribals.
Apprehensions were also raised then by Ravi Rebbapragada, chairperson of Mines, Minerals and People, India, who was the petitioner in the Samatha vs the Andhra Pradesh case after the Raje government withdrew the ban on mining in fifth schedule areas.
The fifth schedule is a historic guarantee to indigenous people on the right over the land they live in. Violations of these Constitutional rights among tribals in scheduled areas in Andhra Pradesh led to the Samatha vs Andhra Pradesh case and a historic judgment. In Rajasthan, the districts of Banswara, Dungarpur, Udaipur, Chittorgarh fall under the fifth schedule.