Team Herald
PANJIM: The disposal of the two writ petitions on ore transportation from the Vedanta mine in Pilgao does not mean that mining company Vedanta or the truck owners association have got relief from the High Court. Rather, the State government will now have to find a way to start ore transportation in accordance with the law. This is what senior counsel Norma Alvares representing the farmers said.
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She was referring to Tuesday’s legal developments with regard to the impasse over transportation of iron ore in the Pilgao-Sarmanas area.
During the hearing on Tuesday, Alvares had requested the Court not to pass any order in the writ petitions filed by Vedanta and the Truck Owners Association since the company nor the State government told the Court that ore transportation was going on in Pilgao via another route, with police protection.
But the High Court on Tuesday disposed of both the petitions by asking the State government to act within the legal framework. The Court did not grant relief to the company or to the transporters, Adv Alvares said.
“The Court did not pass any order. The Court recorded the stance of the petitioners, government and the Pilgao villagers who had intervened and disposed of both the petitions. It’s a success to the villagers because the Court had not granted relief sought by the mining company,” Adv Alvares claimed.
Advocate General Devidas Pangam said that the Truck Owners Association of Sesa Mining, Bicholim and M/s Vedanta Limited had submitted two representations to the government seeking to allow them to transport ore communication through the road which has been mentioned in the Environmental Clearance (EC) order.
But some villagers from Pilgao are obstructing the ore transportation claiming that their personal rights had been infringed by the company by transporting ore through their route.
The Advocate General further said that the court decision does not apply to the route on which the trucks are currently plying and that it was a government decision. The court decision was regarding the old route through the fields.
The grievance of the petitioners was that though they were duly authorised to transport the iron ore through the road which was mentioned in the EC order, some villagers were illegally obstructing the transportation of ore.
