Govt issues fresh notices to 39 mine lease holders
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 14 December 2012 20:20 IST
Mines department has sent notices to 39 lease holders, who are involved in the issue of condonation of delay.
The department has told them to file their submission by 20 December.
Condonation of delay is a major issue of illegality pointed out by Shah Commission as well as the Centrally Empowered Committee appointed by the Supreme Court.
These leases had expired and its renewal date had also expired by November 1988.
However, during the regimes of Pratapsing Rane and Digambar Kamat, they allegedly condoned the delay in renewal and allowed the lease holders to extract iron ore.
After Shah Commission report was released, Goa government had issued show cause notices to all these mining lease holders in September.
They had also replied by October.
However, the mining department has now issued them fresh notices, which they have to reply by 20 December.
Meanwhile, the mines department, by an order has fined mine owner Haresh Melwani for encroachment outside mining lease area at Harvalem in Bicholim, for Rs 68.20 lakh.
It is the value of the mineral extracted from the area 7940 square metres of land outside the lease boundary.
Melwani, however, has refused to pay the fine.
He has claimed that it is not an encroachment but a mere mud wall that collapses every year during the rainy season. He has said that he will challenge the order.
There should be a bill passed in our assembly and law enforced to seize the assets of mine owners who have indulged in illegal mining, whereby there is no loophole to challenge the law.
The mine owners are full of cash and have accumulated enough wealth over the years by illegal mining. They won't hesitate to take the Government to court. And our court rulings are well known. The delays for the outcome could be decades.
The best bet is confiscate their assets. Close down their mines. Suspend their leases.recover the amount and then, let them go to the court.