Quarry licences suspended suspecting ore extraction
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 27 April 2012 20:17 IST
Mines department today suspended licences of all the quarry mines, in order to stop illegal mining of iron ore.
The quarries are located in five talukas of Quepem, Sanguem, Sattari, Dharbandora and Bicholim.
According to mines director Prasanna Acharya, the quarry lease holders are extracting iron ore under the garb of extracting mud at the quarries.
The property, he said, belongs to the government.
It was brought to the notice of mines and geology department that these are iron ore rich areas where illegal mining is going on.
The licenses were granted under Goa Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1985.
Goa Mining Association has also welcomed the move of acting against these quarries.
It would help regulating ore-rich areas and curb illegal mining, said association honourable secretary Haresh Melwani.
Meanwhile, the mines department has revalidated licences of almost 44 traditional mine owners of Goa, after suspending 460 trading licences of mining on 3 April.
These included traditional reputed mining companies like Fomento, Salgaoncar, V M Salgaoncar Brothers, D B Bandodkar, Timblo Enterprises and others.
The licences were revalidated after verifying that their documents are in order.
“We will then take up other Goan traders for scrutiny after which the outside mining traders would be scrutinised”, said Acharya.
GOOD JOB DONE..... KEEP IT UP.....OFFENDERS ARE TO BE DELT WITH SERIOUSLY.......