Nod from Centre made must to lift dumps
PTI, PANAJI | 07 September 2012 21:27 IST
Goa government’s proposal to allow export of iron ore rejects (dumps) piled across the mining belt may get delayed with the central government making it mandatory for the state to consult union Mines Ministry before finalising policy on disposing of dump.
"Since the dump handling impacts environment, appropriate environment clearances and other clearances as part of handling of dumps should be the pre-requisite," the ministry said in its Action Taken Report on Shah Commission recommendation.
Union Mines ministry today tabled Justice M B Shah Commission report and ATR in the parliament. The Commission has investigated alleged illegalities in Goa’s mining sector.
Goa government in its draft mining policy had indicated at allowing export of low grade iron ore lying in various dumps.
The government had stipulated a ceiling of 45 million tons of iron ore export annually of which 25 million tons were to be from the dumps.
"The state will have to consult the Mines Ministry before finalising any policy for dump removal," the Mines Ministry has said in its ATR.
The dump related operations should invariably be part of mining, the ministry has said, adding the details of operation of such dumps should be shared with Indian Bureau of Mines.
The Shah Commission during its probe in Goa last year had found that in the years of 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11, there was large difference between production (dispatch) and actuals (exports) which was shown as "ore retrieved" from old dumps.
However, the commission found that "such excess production claimed to be from old dumps was actually the ore extracted on proxy from the running mines,".
"Actual minerals were removed from mining pits of regular mines but shown as dump handling. This could not have happened if the State Government was vigilant enough to monitor and regulate through frequent field inspection," it said.
