Topic
Karnataka High Court rules that a ₹12.85 crore one-time settlement penalty under KMMC Rules cannot be imposed without affording the assessee an opportunity to be heard. The Court directed the notice to be treated as a show-cause notice, reinforcing that regulatory penalties must comply with natural justice principles.
Karnataka High Court rules that Rule 8A of the KMMC Amendment Rules, 2016, which grants a 20-year lease extension, does not apply retroactively to leases expired before its effective date. The court upholds the validity of a one-year extension under the repealed Rule 21(2A) but prohibits quarrying on recorded forest land, impacting leaseholders and state mineral concession policies.
The Karnataka High Court ruled that quarry lease applicants under Rule 3-F of the KMMC Rules, 1994, are not required to obtain individual No Objection Certificates (NOCs). Instead, the District Task Force must secure all necessary clearances during its meeting, streamlining the approval process and reducing bureaucratic hurdles for applicants.