Mining hearing in SC to begin from 27 Feb
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 21 February 2013 23:13 IST
Adv Atmaram Nadkarni
Supreme Court is expected to finally begin hearing the Goa mining case from 27 February while Goa government and Goa Foundation have clashed over SC’s decision.
According to an official communiqué, the Supreme Court today fixed Goa mining matter for 27 February, after Goa’s advocate general Atmaram Nadkarni made a mention in this regard.
Dr Claude Alvares however contradicts this contention, stating that the date was already known yesterday.
The government communiqué states: “As per instructions and directions of Hon’ble Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, Advocate General Atmaram Nadkarni visited Supreme Court to make a special mention about the mining issue in Goa before the Supreme Court in the interest of the State and its people. Accordingly, Ld. Advocate General made a special mention of the matter. The Hon’ble Supreme Court has agreed to the request and has now fixed the matter about mining issue of Goa for hearing on February 27, 2013.”
Reacting to this, Dr Alvares has stated: “Hear that state government is claiming it is because of them the mining matter is fixed for 27th. This is ridiculous. We already all knew yesterday that the matter will be taken up either on 26th or 27th.”
The hearing of Goa got delayed for almost five months as the apex court was hearing Karnataka and Odisha mining cases.
The Supreme Court had banned total mining activity, including transport and trade, on 5 October last year, while appointing the Centrally Empowered Committee to assess the situation and submit a report.
Even after the CEC submitting its report, the apex court however could not take up the case due to other ongoing hearings regarding mining.
