The Hindu : Karnataka News : Order to close down steel unit stayed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 30, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Order to close down steel unit stayed

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, DEC. 29. A Division Bench comprising Justice N.S. Veerabhadraiah and Justice K. Bhaktavatsala on Tuesday stayed the December 16 order of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board directing Bellary Steels and Alloys, Bellary, to close down.

In its petition, the company said it was set up in 1984 as a mini steel plant to manufacture liquid steel and other products. The KSPCB on May 14, 1992, permitted it to manufacture sponge iron. The company now employs 500 people.

The company said it had complied with the pollution control norms and installed pollution control devices in the two rotary kilns where sponge iron was manufactured. The board, on November 22, issued a show-cause notice to it asking it to take steps by December to bring down the pollution levels. On December 16, the board issued closure notice to the company.

The company said it was bad in law and arbitrary because it had complied with all the pollution control norms. The order was against the Mahazar conducted by the board's Environmental Officer.

The Bench ordered issue of emergent notices to the board and other respondents and stayed for three weeks from Tuesday the December 16 order.

Notice to Govt.

Justice K. Bhaktavatsala on Tuesday ordered issue of emergent notices to the State Government and the Chikmagalur Deputy Commissioner on a petition by the Sajjad Nasheen (hereditary priest) of the Datta Peetha at Chikmagalur.

In his petition, Syed Ghouse Mohideen Shah Kadri said he was the Sajjad Nasheen of the Dattatreya Baba Budan Swamy Dargah in Chikmagalur. He said the Sajjad Nasheen was a religious and administrative post. His father, the late Peer Mohammad Shah Kadri, was the Sajjad.

Peer Mohammad had informed the Muzrai Department, under which the shrine comes, of his son's succession as the Sajjad. Peer Mohammad died on October 25, 1999 and on November 25, 2000 the Muzrai Department appointed Syed Ghouse as the Shah Kadri restricting him to religious duties and taking away his administrative powers. The Government set up a 19-member committee, including the petitioner and the Deputy Commissioner, to manage the Peetha.

Syed Ghouse filed a writ petition in the High Court challenging his restricted powers. This petition is still pending.

The petitioner said the Deputy Commissioner was taking unilateral decisions and interfering in religious aspects. The officer, he said, had converted a mosque on the Peetha premises into an office. Besides, there was a proposal to demolish the Durbar Hall on the premises.

He urged the court to restrain the Deputy Commissioner from demolishing the Durbar Hall.

Justice Bhaktavatsala ordered the parties to maintain status quo till the next date of hearing on January 3.

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