DIVISIONAL FOREST OFFICER vs S.NAGESWARAMMA

The Supreme Court held that the renewal of a mining lease must comply with the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, specifically Section 2, which prohibits mining operations in forest areas without prior approval from the Central Government. The Court found that the respondent's lease was not valid for renewal as the necessary approvals were not obtained, and thus, the High Court's direction allowing extraction of stacked minerals was illegal. The appeal was allowed, and the cancellation of the mining lease was upheld.