GORELAL DUBEY vs STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH AND OTHERS (And Vice-Versa)

The Supreme Court ruled that the grant of a quarry lease for limestone under the Madhya Pradesh Mineral Rules, 1961, must be assessed based on the nature of the mineral as defined in Section 3(e) of the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957. The Court held that treating an application for a quarry lease as one for a major mineral is incorrect when two applications exist for the same area, emphasizing that the quality of limestone determines the type of lease. The Court upheld the validity of the quarry lease granted to GD, rejecting the Central Government's directive to consider RD's application for a mining lease as it was not competent under the circumstances.