PANJIM: Stating that the working class cannot to left to take the law in their hands, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, under treatment at AIIMS, Delhi, has written to the Centre seeking changes to the Mining Act.
In what could be termed as a first concrete move taken by the State after mining came to a grinding halt in March, Parrikar sent an eight-page letter to Union Mines Minister Narendra Tomar, stating that the ban has eroded 30 per cent of the State’s economy.
“Due to acts of a few, the mining industry as a whole has suffered which in turn has impacted the State’s revenue and also resulted in loss of jobs and impacted the tertiary sector,” Parrikar said.
He said that in process of renewals the State government generated Rs 1400 cr as revenue in form of stamp duty and thereafter it earned Rs 658 cr from royalties between November 2015 and March 3, 2018. “The State also collected Rs 183 cr as District Mineral Fund and Rs 466 cr under the Goan Iron Ore Permanent Fund. All these were achieved despite restrictions of SC on extractions,” he said.
He said the contribution was almost 15 per cent to the economy since resumption and the absence of such contribution has paralysed the State.
“The decision of SC on 7/2/2018 has not at all considered the intention of Parliament as introduced by MMDR Act with regards to renewal of leases and providing continuity to the mining industry before the change regarding auction, can be introduced, despite the provisions of the Amending Act being brought to its notice,” he said, adding the amending Act had specifically inserted Section 84(3) to protect tenures of not only existing leases but also those cases where renewals were pending and decisions had not been taken.
Parrikar continued further that the amendment not only provided for continuity in the mining industry but also protected revenue interests of the State governments.
“After the MMDR Amendment Ordinance suggestions were invited from State government for operationalisation of amendments. With the objective to provide continuity to the mining industry, in a meeting held on 19.1.2015 had specifically requested in light of Goa Daman and Diu Mining Concessions and (Abolition and Declaration of mining leases) Act, 1987 a specific amendment be introduced. It was requested that the period of for leases in the State of Goa be computed from the date when the said Abolition Act received Assent of the president”.
He said the process of auction in the MMDR Amendment Act, 2015 was not immediately resorted to with regard to old leases as the procedure under the Act would unnecessarily result in time gap of at least 4 to 5 years before mining operations can actually commence due to various formalities and statutory compliances.
“Though the rest of the country has been provided the benefit, and specifically Section 8A, to easily straddle the transition period, the State of Goa has been deprived the same benefit. The benefits of the provision, specifically Section 8A, have also been extended to the leases in the State of Karnataka and Orissa where the Supreme Court otherwise had found rampant illegal mining,” the letter states.
Parrikar further says that the only possible alternative to the various issues faced by the State is to provide a legislative cure thereby like the rest of the country the tenure of the leases which existed in Goa can be extended for a particular period so as to enable the State to overcome the difficulties it is facing due to sudden stoppage of mining operations.
“In my opinion the working class cannot be left in such circumstances forcing them to take law into their own hands. There are reports of school drop outs, increase in theft and other criminal activities in the mining areas,” he says.
“The political governance demands immediate governance to resolve difficulties, including by altering the very basis of the Supreme Court judgement. As the subject of development and regulation of mines and minerals is within the competence of the Central govt, request you to kindly consider bringing about necessary amendments to the provision of the MMDR Act so as to bring at par the State of Goa with the rest of the country and give necessary impetus to the economy of the state of Goa,” he concludes.
