TSMDC action challenged

Justice MS Ramachandra Rao of the High Court at Hyderabad on Tuesday admitted two writ pleas filed by Orient Cements. The petitioners challenged the action of the Telangana State Mineral Development Corporation in raising demands for remittances to the National Mineral Exploration Trust.

The petitioner contended that the imposition of the said levy to the trust fund by the Central Government was retrospective in nature and thus without authority of law.

Appearing for the petitioner, Sivaraju Srinivas pointed out that for the National Mineral Trust the levy could only be after November 2015 and for District Mineral Trust only after January 20 this year. The judge accordingly suspended the demand for the said period.