The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its order on review petitions, filed by the Centre and others, against a verdict passed in 2010, directing the Karnataka government to consider applications of companies vying for the lease of iron ore mines in the Kumaraswamy range, within four months.
A Bench of Justices P Sathasivam and H L Dattu wrapped up the hearing in the matter in which Attorney General G E Vahanvati had claimed that the order was passed without giving the Centre an opportunity to present its viewpoint.
Besides the Centre and the Karnataka government, JSW Steel Limited, Kalyani Steels Limited and Kalyani Steel Mills Limited had sought review of the judgement.
Sandur Manganese and Iron Ore Ltd and MSPL Ltd, on the other hand, had challenged the maintainability of the review petitions.
The Bench had, in May, decided to hear the review petitions in the open court proceedings.
Overturning the Karnataka High Court ruling, the apex court had, in its decision on September 13, 2010, directed the State government to consider afresh the applications of Sandur Manganese and Iron Ore Limited, MSPL Ltd, Jindal Vijayanagar Steels Ltd and Kalyani Steel Limited.
Sandur Manganese and Iron Ore Ltd and MSPL had then challenged the ruling of the Karnataka High Court that had upheld the decision of the State government to allot certain leases of the mines to Jindal and Kalyani.