SC hearing on mining tomorrow unlikely
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 01 November 2012 21:33 IST
The Supreme Court is not likely to hear the petition on illegal mining tomorrow, as scheduled earlier.
The whole mining belt in Goa was eagerly waiting for the outcome of the tomorrow’s hearing on the case.
However, till today evening, the case was not found listed on tomorrow’s board.
The only mining case listed for tomorrow is of Bellary in Karnataka.
The Supreme Court, on 5 October, had confirmed the ban on mining activity pending verification and implementation of the Justice Shah Commission report on illegal mining.
The Commission has considered the whole mining activity in Goa as illegal, pointing out illegalities as well irregularities in legal mining leases.
As such, the apex court had even banned transportation of extracted iron ore, which was allowed by the state government while banning mining activity soon after Shah Commission report was tabled in the Parliament.
The central government had also withdrawn environment clearances issued to all the mining leases.
The Supreme Court had however directed its Central Empowerment Committee to submit a report after inspection on the mining scene of Goa, within four weeks.
However, the CEC landed in Goa itself in the fourth week.
The team led by P V Jaikrishnan returned to Delhi yesterday after spending two days in Goa, inspecting few mines and meeting the stakeholders as well as environmentalists.
As the report would not be ready by tomorrow, the hearing of the case is now expected to get postponed.
Meanwhile, the AITUC related mining workers’ union as well as 48 panchayats and four municipalities have filed intervention applications before the apex court, demanding immediate resumption of mining activity.
The mine owners were also expected to file similar intervention application, but have not done it so far.
