In Brief
The State of Bihar sought temporary mining permissions while new environmental assessments were conducted following directions from the National Green Tribunal and Supreme Court. Multiple bidders challenged the cancellation of their mining contracts and Letters of Intent. The Court held that successful bidders—whether from earlier auctions extended over time or from 2019 tenders—do not acquire vested rights to mine when fresh environmental appraisal is mandated. Temporary mining through the State Mining Corporation was permitted to prevent illegal mining and loss to the exchequer, but this remained a stop-gap arrangement. All applications claiming vested rights were rejected; the environmental compliance application was disposed of with emphasis on strict adherence to environmental safeguards.
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