CM orders officials to set up single-window system to resolve issues faced by mining lease companies
Bengaluru, Jul 27: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday directed officials to set up a single-window system to provide forest department clearances and address other issues related to mining lease companies.
He said at a high-level meeting that ministers and officials of the Mining and Geology, Revenue and Forest Departments should hold a meeting every month or once in every two months to provide forest clearance and solve the problems faced by them.
It was mentioned during the meeting that many applications were pending with the forest department and they could not be cleared because the mining lease companies did not carry out afforestation as mandated in the contract for want of an alternative land, a release put out by the Chief Minister's office said.
For this, there are farmers in Arsikere and some other parts of the state who are willing to sell their agricultural land due to damage caused by elephants and other wildlife. The Chief Minister suggested that these mining firms be enabled to purchase land and provide it for afforestation.
The Chief Minister was informed that an application has been submitted to the Government of India on 'PARIVESH' portal for permission to carry out mineral exploration in the state through the Centre-owned KIOCL Limited (formerly known as Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited), and Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Limited (MECL).
Siddaramaiah directed the officials of the Department of Mines and Geology to discuss with these mining lease companies to "rectify" the objections to their applications and get the clearances quickly.
Regarding the disposal of 2.7 million metric tonnes of iron ore, which was confiscated in the past for illegal mining and is currently lying in a forest area, the Chief Minister asked the officials to seek the opinion of legal experts.
He instructed the officials that a proposal to implement One Time Settlement (OTS) scheme to collect fines imposed on quarry contractors for violation of rules should be tabled in the cabinet meeting.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
