Chandigarh, Nov. 2 -- The Punjab and Haryana high court has asked the Haryana government why the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) has not been constituted after February 2025. The high court bench of justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and justice Rohit Kapoor has directed Haryana to file a specific affidavit of the additional chief secretary, Department of Mines and Geology clarifying as to why SEIAA has not been constituted after February 2025. Further it directed that complete correspondence between Haryana and concerned departments of Central government in this regard be placed on record with the affidavit by November 19. The court was hearing a plea from M/s Darsh Minerals Private Limited and others, who had told the court that they were successful bidders and mining lease was allotted in Nabiabad Sand Unit in Karnal for a period of nine years in the year 2022. Their counsel, Chetan Mittal had told the court that state authorities are granting extension for a limited period from time to time. Further extension is not being considered only because the SEIAA has not been constituted by Haryana. As per the relevant act and rules, environment clearance is to be granted by the SEIAA which duly granted the permission initially for a period of one year. The mining plan which was submitted and approved was for five years. Thereafter, for the reasons best known to the respondents, they extended the permission for only three months, the court was told adding that while the contract was going on, recommendation for further extension till the validity of mining plan, was duly made by State Level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC), however, the SEIAA was not constituted. The court was further told that as per the latest notification of the Central government in the year 2022, the environment clearance has to be extended for the period of the entire mining plan. However, in the present case, the petitioner, who is doing legal mining, has been deprived of the work because of inaction on the part of the state authorities in appointments. It was further told that many more such mines are awaiting permissions and legal mines within the state are being prejudiced as the mining operations are lying closed, which is encouraging illegal mining in the state. The court was also informed that the recommendation, which had been made for appointment of SEIAA members by the state, had not been approved by the Centre because of not having requisite qualifications for the post....