The High Court has issued notice to the State and the Union governments regarding the issue of mining lease to the companies without steel plants. The division bench comprising Chief Justice P D Dinakaran and K L Manjunath was hearing a petition filed by Satyamurthy seeking a direction to prevent fresh lease and renewal of lease to the companies without steel plants. He contended mining exports were affecting domestic consumption resulting in severe loss to the State exchequer. He pointed out that the National Mineral Policy had set a target of producing 200 million tonnes of crude steel and the domestic target was 290 million tonnes for 2020. This cannot be achieved unless the export is regulated and reduced drastically, he said. The petitioner said the State had 1150 million tonnes of steel reserves, of which 400 million tonnes was being exploited. Miners earned a whopping Rs 60,000 crore just through exports in 2007-08. Though the mining companies earned a profit of Rs 5,000 per tonne of steel, the State received a royalty between Rs 15 and Rs 27 per tonne. The petitioner alleged the State government has favoured private players and rejected applications from the companies in public sector such as VISL, Kalyani and Jindal. Shifting of varsity The HC issued notice to the State government in connection with the plea seeking to shift the proposed Law University from Dharwad to Bangalore. Panchami Law College and others had challenged the government