Goa Govt not to resume mining even if SC allows; until...
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 04 December 2012 19:36 IST
Goa Government has decided not to resume mining even if the Supreme Court or the Centrally Empowered Committee gives a green signal.
Chief minister Manohar Parrikar is firm on restarting the mines only after all the findings of the Shah Commission and the Public Accounts Committee are remedied and the mining policy is implemented.
Accordingly, the state government has also given the same commitment before the Supreme Court, in a 68-page affidavit filed.
The affidavit ends with this resolve: “The state government is committed not to permit resumption of mining in the state of Goa, even if it is approved by the CEC and the Honourble Supreme Court, till such time as the findings of the Public Accounts Committee and in the Justice Shah Committee reports are adequately remedied, and dealt in accordance with the law.”
Goa government has also told the Supreme Court, that it would not resume mining “until the report of all the studies and investigations ordered, reports analysed and acted upon and an effective regulatory mechanism as envisaged in the draft mining policy is fully in place.
According to information sought from the mines department, most of the measures have already been implemented.
Auditing by the committee of chartered accountants would be completed within a fortnight.
Satellite imaging of mines has already been completed.
Most of the mines have already been fenced and their boundaries have been marked. Also the the data regarding encroachments by lease holders is being compiled.
The most important pending work however is to co-relatie the data. Mines department does not have proper data of the past.
The department has thus collected data from the Mormugao Port Trust, Captain of Ports and the Customs Department.
The real challenge however is to decide the quantum of illegal mining. The mines department is thus struggling to get the data of the ore extracted and exported, based on which the quantum of illegal ore would be known.
The department also needs to finish all the cases of condonation of delay to find out its illegality.
Till date, the department has decided only one case. 39 cases are still pending.
It all depends on who disposes of the matter first – the Supreme Court or the Mines Department of Goa.
Even if the Supreme Court allows mines to start, the Goa government would not resume the work until all the measures are implemented fully.
After that, as Goa government has told the Supreme Court, the mines would not start together – but on cases to case basis.
