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IN THE HIGH COURT OF AT BANGALORE DATED THIS THE 26 TH DAY OF FEBRUARY 2013 PRESENT THE HON’BLE MR.K.SREEDHAR RAO, ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE AND THE HON’BLE MR.JUSTICE S.ABDUL NAZEER WRIT PETITION Nos.8931-71/2013 (GM-MM-S)

BETWEEN :

1. M/S PRIYADARSHANI STONE CRUSHER NEAR UNIVERSITY, KOTANUR, ROAD 585101 BY ITS PROP: N.S. MULGE

2. M/S. ASMA STONE CRUSHER INDUSTRY SY.NO.77/4, AJADPUR VILLAGE TQ & DIST: GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: IMAM SAB

3. M/S. MALU STONE CRUSHER SY.NO.168, BELLUR (J) VILLAGE TQ & DIST: GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: SANTOSH MALU

4. M/S. PRABHUDEV STONE CRUSHING UNIT NEAR, SRINIVAS SARADGI SY.NO.619/4 & SY.NO.25 SEDAM ROAD, GULBARGA – 585101 BY ITS PROP: PRABHUDEV. S. KALBURGI

5. M/S. RAJENDRA ANDRAL STONE CRUSHER S.NO.134, MALAGATTI ROAD TAVARAKERE VILLAGE TQ & DIST: GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP : RAJENDRA

6. M/S. ZOHOOR STONE CRUSHER BELLUR (T) BELLUR TANDA ROAD GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP. M.D. ANWAR ZABOOR SAB

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7. M/S. BIRADAR STONE CRUSHER INDUSTRY UP JOAN CROSS, HUMANABAD ROAD GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP : JYOTI BIRADAR

8. M/S. KARNATAKA STONE CRUSHER UNIT II, 687, ALAND ROAD GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP. MASHAK JEWALI SAB

9. M/S. RAKESH STONE CRUSHER SY.NO.77/1, SINDGI VILLAGE ALAND ROAD, GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP. SHIVAYYA B. GUTTEDAR

10. M/S. MACCHA STONE CRUSHER SY.NO.203/2, HAGARGA VILLAGE TQ & DIST. GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: MAQBOOL SAB

11. M/S. ANAND STONE CRUSHER S.NO.84/1, MUKTA VILLAGE TQ: CHITTAPUR, DIST: GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: RAVISHANKAR ANDRAL

12. M/S. SABA STONE CRUSHER SY.NO.18/2, KOTNOOR VILLAGE SEDAM ROAD, GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: ANWAR PATEL MIYAN

13. M/S. SHIVACHETAN STONE CRUSHER TAJ SULTANPUR, SY.NO.28 TQ & DIST: GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: R.G.PATIL

14. M/S. KORALLI STONE CRUSHER SY.NO.111/2, VILLAGE TQ & DIST: GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: GURUSHANTAPPA PATIL

15. M/S. FARDHAN STONE CRUSHER SY.NO.58/4, BELLUR TANDA TQ & DIST: GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: ABDUL SHUKAR SAB

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16. M/S. DURDHAN STONE CRUSHER BELLUR (J), GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: MOHAMMED SHARIFF

17. M/S. GULBARGA STONE CRUSHER SY.NO.17/A/2, KUSHNOOR VILLAGE TQ & DIST: GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: SANTOSH LAHOTI

18. M/S. KAPLESHWAR STONE CRUSHER HUMANABAD ROAD, UPALAON CROSS GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: MALLIKARJUN

19. M/S. AMEEN STONE CRUSHER SY.NO.648, SRINIVAS SARADGI, SEDAM ROAD, GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: SARVER SAB

20. M/S. BHAGYALAXMI STONE CRUSHER 2ND STAGE, KAPNOOR INDUSTRIAL AREA BELLUR CROSS, GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: MALLANNA R. TENGALI

21. M/S. AKASH STONE CRUSHER SY.NO.106/5, TAVARGERA HUMNABAD ROAD, GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: SHIVANAND HULI

22. M/S. PRABULINGESHWAR STONE CRUSHER SY.NO.132/A, POST SINDAGI (B) VILLAGE TA & DIST: GULBARGA BY ITS PROP: LAXMAN BASAGI

23. M/S. BASSIRUDDIN BAAG STONE CRUSHER SY.NO.53/4, OPP: DARGA, ZAFARBAD GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: BASSERUDDIN BAAG

24. M/S. GAYATRI STONE CRUSHER POST: MUGTA, TQ: CHITTAPUR DIST: GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: RAJESH GUTTEDAR

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25. M/S. FIRDOSH STONE CRUSHER SY.NO.58/A4, BELLUR TANDA ROAD GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: ABDUL SHUKAR SAB

26. M/S. RACHOTESHWAR STONE CRUSHER SY.NO.261, YADRAMI, SINDGI ROAD TQ JEWARGI, DIST: GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: CHANDRASHEKAR

27. M/S. SOUBHAGYA STONE CRUSHER SY.NO.44, ZHAPUR VILLAGE SHAHABAD ROAD, GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: ASHOK GUTTEDAR

28. M/S. BALAJI STONE CRUSHER SY.NO.163, BELLUR ROAD GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: SURESH BALAJI

29. M/S. NANDI MINERALS STONE CRUSHER BELLUR CROSS, KHAPANUR HUMNABAD, GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: BASAVARAJ N. MANCHATTY

30. M/S. MAMU GRAMUDYOG SANGH STONE CRUSHER SY.NO.58/2, BELLUR TANDA, GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: ABDUL SHUKAR SAB

31. M/S. BHAVANI STONE CRUSHER ALAND ROAD, GULBARGA BY ITS PROP: KUPENDRA Y. GUTTEDAR

32. M/S. SAI BABA STONE CRUSHER SY.NO.83, MUGTH, TQ: CHITTAPUR DIST: GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: SATISH GUTTEDAR

33. M/S. SHIVAKUMAR STONE CRUSHER BEHIND KAPNOOR INDUSTRIAL AREA, BELLUR (T), 2ND STAGE, GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: SHIVAKUMAR TENGALI

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34. M/S. BASAVESHWAR STONE CRUSHER NARABOLI VILLAGE, JEWARGI TQ GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: JAYAPRAKASH PATIL

35. M/S. RAHAMAN STONE CRUSHER NEAR TAWARGERA VILLAGE TQ & DIST: GULBARGA 585101

36. M/S. SANTOSH STONE CRUSHER SY.NO.23/A, PALAPUR POST GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: SANTOSH BENNUR

37. M/S. AISHWARYA STONE CRUSHER TAWARGERA ROAD GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: DEVENDRAPPA

38. M/S. ISHWARI STONE CRUSHER SY.NO.106, TAWARGERA VILLAGE TQ & DIST: GULBARGA BY ITS PROP: MANHOR B. GUTTEDAR

39. M/S. PRABHUDEV STONE CRUSHER UNIT SY.NO.25, SRINIVAS SARADGI (PALA VILLAGE) SEDAM ROAD, GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: PRABHUDEV S. KALABURGI

40. M/S. DHANALAXMI STONE CRUSHER BELLUR (J), BELLUR CROSS GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: SIDDU B. TENGALI

41. M/S. SIDDIQUI STONE CRUSHER SY.NO.74/8, ZHAPUR VILLAGE GULBARGA 585101 BY ITS PROP: MANJOOR AHMED PATEL ... PETITIONERS (BY SRI G G CHAGASHETTI, ADV.,) AND :

1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA DEPARTMENT OF MINES & GEOLOGY, KHANIJA BHAVAN, RACE COURSE ROAD BANGALORE 560001,BY ITS DIRECTOR

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2. THE KARNATAKA STATE POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD PARISARA BHAVAN 4TH AND 5TH FLOOR, NO.49 CHURCH STREET, BANGALORE BY ITS CHAIRMAN 560003

3. THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER GULBARGA 585101

4. THE MANAGING DIRECTOR GESCOM, GULBARGA 585101

5. THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER GESCOM, GULBARGA DIST: GULBARGA 585101 ... RESPONDENTS

(By Sri R.G. KOLLE, AGA FOR R1 & R3. SRI N.K. GUPTA, ADV., FOR R4 & R5. SRI D. NAGARAJ, ADV., FOR R2)

THESE WRIT PETITIONS ARE FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF PRAYING TO QUASH THE ORDER / NOTICE DT.1.9.12, ISSUED BY THE R2, PRODUCED AT ANN-B TO B40 RESPECTIVELY. DIRECT THE R3, TO ISSUE PRESCRIBED FORM TO THE PETITIONER ENABLING HIM TO FILE AN APPLICATION SEEKING GRANT OF LICENSE TO HIS STONE CRUSHER AND ETC.,

THESE WRIT PETITIONS COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING THIS DAY, ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE MADE THE FOLLOWING:

ORDER

K.SREEDHAR RAO, Ag.C.J. (Oral) :

Sri R.G.Kolle, AGA accepts notice on behalf of

respondent Nos.1 and 3, Sri D.Nagaraj, Advocate accepts

notice for respondent no.2. Sri N.K.Gupta, Advocate accepts

notice for respondent Nos.4 & 5.

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2. In these writ petitions, the petitioners have assailed the orders dated 01.09.2012 Annexures B to B21 and B34 to

B40 & dated 27.9.2012 Annexures B32 and 33 passed by respondent No.2. A direction is also sought to respondent

No.3 to issue prescribed form to the petitioners enabling them to file applications seeking grant of license to their stone crushers.

3. We have heard the learned counsel on both sides.

They state in unison that these writ petitions could be disposed of in terms of the orders dated 21/11/2012 passed in

W.P.No.41069/2012 and W.P.Nos.41515-528/2012. The submission of the learned counsel is placed on record. The order dated 21/11/2012 reads as under:-

“In the present case, by Gazette Notification dated 14.8.2012 safer zones in Haveri had been duly notified to the public. Section 3 (3) of the Karnataka Regulation of Stones Crushers Act, 2011 (for short ‘the Act’) permits a period of three months to existing Stone Crusher Units to trans locate themselves to safer zones. In this regard an application has to be filed with the Licensing Authority within a reasonable time. Unfortunately, the Act does not prescribe this period. In the present case, the Petitioner applied to the Licensing Authority on 24.9.2012. It is not disputed that consequent upon the Petitioner’s

8 application, the Licensing Authority till date has neither granted or refused the license under the provisions of the said Act. Since Section 3(4) of the Act prescribes an outer limit of six months for shifting from the date of grant, it could be inferred that the Application has to be made within three months of the requisite Gazetting of the safer zones.

2. In these circumstances, the Petition is allowed by directing the Respondents to permit the operation of the Petitioner at the present site up to 23.12.2012 or till such time the application is considered and disposed of, by the Licensing Authority.

3. Learned counsel for the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (for short ‘the Board’) submits that the Petitioner did not apply for the consent of the Board on the expiry of the previous consent on 30.06.2012. In normal circumstances, the contention would be well founded since no one is permitted to operate without a current permission or consent.

4. In the circumstances of the present case however, a piquant situation has arisen, inasmuch as the Pollution Control Board cannot grant permission to the Petitioner to operate in its present site, since it must statutorily relocate to a safer zone as identified by the State. Needless to add that if and when the petitioner is granted a

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license to relocate a safer zone, conditions under Section 6 (9) of the Act will have to be complied with as also the permission would have to be obtained from the Board.

5. With these observations, the Petition is allowed and Annexure-H dated 5.9.2012 is quashed.”

4. The aforesaid order is squarely applicable to the present case. In these petitions, Annexures B to B40 are quashed provided applications in the prescribed forms are filed within seven days from the date of receipt of a certified copy of this order. The petitioners are permitted to continue the stone crushing units in the present location till the disposal of their applications.

5. With these observations, the petitions are allowed and orders dated 01.09.2012 vide Annexures B to B21 and

B34 to B40 & dated 27.9.2012 Annexures B32 and 33 are quashed. The Writ petitions are disposed of.

Sd/- ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE

Sd/- JUDGE

Sk/-