05 May 2022  |   06:09pm IST

88 mining leases asked to vacate leasehold areas and remove machinery by June 6

TEAM HERALD

In a step towards auction of iron ore mining leases in Goa, the State government has issued notices to 88 mining lessees giving them time of one month- till June 6, to vacate all the machinery and equipment from the leasehold area. 

These 88 mining leases were in litigation over illegal second renewals granted to them. The renewals were quashed and set aside by the Supreme Court in 2018.

The notices are issued invoking Rule 12 (1) of the Mineral Concession Rule 2016, u Der which the lessees gets a month to remove its machinery and equipment from the site. 

Director Mines IAS Vivek confirmed that the notices are issued to the erstwhile leaseholders and the same are uploaded on their official website. 

He said a time of one month is granted to remove all machinery. 

The state government has already put in place Goa Mineral Development Corporation under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, through which the mines would be auctioned.