CM, officials violating SC, CEC’s order: Tamhankar
TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: Congress spokesman Sudip Tamhankar in his petition submitted to the Supreme Court appointed Centrally Empowered Committee recently called for auctioning of all mining leases.
Pushing for not renewing the leases ~ since leases are being renewed by the government ~ the petition also argues that top politicians and Mining Department officials including the chief minister and director are allegedly in violation of the Supreme Court’s directions and orders and CEC’s instructions and are indulging in activities “which are not only illegal but also contemptuous of the Supreme Court’s orders.”
Specifically naming the present assistant director, the petition states that he “apparently under instructions from his superior the present director of mines, Prassanna Acharya… has issued orders to infrastructure and logistics, Sesa Resources to transport ore under the garb of spillage and to Prime Minerals Private Limited allowing export of fines to China from Goa.”
“Both the actions have been done without authorization from CEC and in violation of the order of the Supreme Court,” he alleged. The petitioner also alleged that the iron ore is of Goan origin transported by Prime Minerals… from an operating mine at Advalpal/Bicholim in Goa bearing TC no 89/52 of M/s Lithiferro mine and which is presently being operated….”. He alleged that the ore was lying at the Sirsaim jetty plot and that the permission to export was given without verifying the documents and without knowing the source of the ore.
Another point raised by Tamhankar is that the transportation of ore was also done in violation of the North Goa District Magistrate’s order banning ore transportation in North Goa dated September 12, 2012 and in violation of the Directorate of Mines order dated September 10, 2012 and alleged that no site inspection was done to know either the source nor any inquiries were made to find out the legality of the ore.
Tamhankar also claims that the State government has granted renewal to M/s Sesa Goa’s mine under TC no 126/53, 70/52, 69/51 whose “name is clearly pointed out in the Shah Commission Report for exceeding the production capacity as provided in the Environmental Clearances”.
He alleges that all the renewal orders (to about 23 mining leases for a period of 20 years according to petitioner) are based on 2007 environmental clearances and the same are under suspension and are not only
done without execution of the lease deed but are in violation and in contempt of the Apex Court order while the matter is still sub-judice.
It may be recalled that the State government had recently submitted to the Apex Court that though it has absolutely no problems or issues with “this Honourable Court monitoring the matter, viz. control, regulation by the State Government, periodically, it has serious objections to bring in outside bodies like CEC when it had already appointed a High Powered Committee headed by a Retired High Court Judge.”
It had also wanted the Court to “appoint another Committee of a Judge of the Honourable Supreme Court (Retd.) to head the Committee or appoint as Members some other Retired Chief Justice of the Honourable High Court but the State Government is emphatic in its submission that it does not wish to have the CEC in the matter.”
