Your Headlines “Mining dependents to protest in New Delhi next month” (Herald, November 17, 2018) made an interesting reading so also amusing!
On February 23, 2018 I had written an article in the “People’s Edit” column, entitled “Don’t Give False Hopes” of course to Mining Dependents” instead Government give them some alternative schemes like agriculture, fishing activity, etc; so that they can feed their families.
My doubts on resumption of Mining Activities still exist for the simple reason which is this: In February 2018, the Supreme Court of India had passed an Order, thereby quashing all 88 Mining Leases, renewed by the BJP Government in Goa in 2015 to “benefit private lease holders”. The 102-page of the Apex Court noted how these leases were hastily renewed by the State in 2014, with retrospective effect from 2007, just before an Amended Mines & Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act made auction of Leases mandatory.
The judgement by a Bench led by Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta traced “the rapacious and rampant exploitation” of Goa’s fragile ecology by private lease holders, whose sole motive is to make profits, for years.
“The primary beneficiary was, of course, the mining lease holder, a private entity, and the price was paid by the average Goan who had to suffer a polluted environment and witness the damages to the State’s ecology” the Supreme Court said, summing up Goa’s mineral policy.
The judgement narrated the role played by the Goa Government in the loot of natural resources. It said the State Government gave private entrepreneurs Mining Leases virtually for a song”.
These are the few salient points from the 102 page judgement and there are several directives issued to the State Government and Ministry of Environment. It is surprising how Congress is recommending all Party delegation to meet Prime Minister when it itself has done nothing to recover the loot even the Apex Court has pointed out in the judgement, together with the ruling party and its coalition partners. Once again I would request all concerned to do something genuine and realistic rather than talking about Ordinance and amendments to MMDR Act.
I also do not understand the issue of 2019 elections connected to mining resumption, as if even BJP wins both Parliamentary Seats in Goa, will that have any impact on resumption of Mining!
