TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said that he would resume mining within a few minutes of the Supreme Court lifting the ban, provided Union government revokes its decision which had suspended the Environment Clearances.
“If Supreme Court lifts the ban, the mining activity can be resumed within five minutes, provided Union government revokes its decision to suspend the ECs. ECs are the valid document for mining resumption,” Parrikar told media Monday evening.
“I had stopped mining operations, which could have been started within five minutes once mining companies submit the required documents but then Supreme Court intervened, putting a complete halt to mining,” he clarified.
Parrikar, however, refuted claims made by rival Congress party that he had taken credit for stoppage of mining activity. “I have never made a statement that I banned mining in Goa… if I had banned it, I would not have allowed e-auctioning of the ore. It is a known fact that SC stopped mining activity,” Chief Minister said.
However, in a roundabout admission, Parrikar also said that after State government stopped mining activities, Congress led UPA government was quick to suspend the environment clearances of mining leases, which have not been restored after two years.
Soon after tabling of Justice M B Shah Commission report on illegal mining in Goa in the Parliament, BJP government had on September 10, 2012 suspended mining operations in the state. Following the suspension, NGO-Goa Foundation approached Supreme Court, which in a October 5, 2012 passed an interim order banning mining.
