MONDAY, MAY 06, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: The High Court on Thursday, in a 2019 PIL matter, directed the Goa Chief Secretary to hold an inquiry into how large-scale unauthorised activity of mining sand, gravel and pebbles from Ragada river was carried out when protected by forest and wildlife legislation and to initiate disciplinary proceedings against officials involved, within next four months.
The Court has asked the Chief Secretary to carry out an inquiry as to how such large-scale illegalities were possible at a location protected by forest and wildlife legislations without the knowledge of the Directorate of Mines and Geology, Police, Forest and Revenue officials.
The Chief Secretary has also been directed to fix responsibility on designated officials and consider whether any disciplinary proceedings should be initiated against the officials involved.
The Court has directed the Secretary (Revenue) to recover a balance amount of Rs 46.45 lakh from one of the violators Swapnil Malik. It has also asked the government to prepare and submit a credible action plan to tackle the issue of rampant and large-scale unauthorised mining of minor minerals across the state of Goa.
The Court stated that it was apparent that several instances of large-scale unauthorised sand mining or quarrying occur at various locations in the State. However, the authorities that are duty-bound to protect Goa’s natural resources and prevent such activities, are hardly interested in taking any serious action.
The Court further stated that only after some petitions are filed, are some actions initiated most reluctantly and half-heartedly. This case is yet another instance which establishes how there were large-scale unauthorised mining operations in the Ragada river and until the institution of this petition, none of the authorities even bothered to stop such illegal activities or to bring the culprits to book. Even the Committee constituted by this Court claimed that it had no expertise in the matter and did not even bother to go into the circumstances which facilitated such large-scale theft of the State’s mineral resources.
If large-scale unauthorised mining of minor minerals continues unabated and the officials duty-bound to prevent such activities remain mute spectators for reasons best known to them, the Court will be forced to take stern measures not only against those involved in large-scale unauthorised quarrying and mining but also the officials who take no action whatsoever to prevent this or to recover the money equivalent of the looted mineral wealth of the State.
This action plan must fix responsibilities on designated officials so that in the event of instances of unauthorised mining or quarrying, such officials could be held responsible for the theft and environmental degradation that ensues.
Once this action plan is prepared, necessary directions must be issued to all concerned to ensure that there is no unauthorised mining or quarrying of minor minerals in the State of Goa and that those involved, including government officials who derelict in their duties, would be firmly dealt with. This exercise must be completed within four months, and a compliance report must be filed in this Court by September 7, 2024.
The Court has expressed its gratitude to Adv Norma Alvares for the assistance rendered by her in this matter.
