PANJIM: Villagers of Cavrem, who have been protesting the illegal transportation of iron ore for nearly a month now, have decided to approach the Supreme Court seeking its intervention into the illegal e-auction and transportation of unaccounted ore lying at a mining lease.
Hundreds of villagers, led by anti-mining activist Ravindra Velip, gathered at Panjim’s Azad Maidan, on Monday morning and alleged that Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) has illegally auctioned around two lakh tonnes of ore and has now granted permission for its transportation, which commenced last week. The villagers said that the mining lease has not been operational since 2011.
The villagers also gheraoed Mines Director Prasanna Acharya seeking a clarification on the illegality. They said the ore, lying at the site from 2007 to 2012, is illegally extracted ore as per the Supreme Court.
“We are now left with no other option than to approach Supreme Court. We will file an intervention petition challenging the e-auction and transportation of ore,” Velip told media persons adding that the inventory of the ore lying at the sites, jetties and other areas, was also based on data provided by mine owners and not by DMG, as claimed.
During the meeting, Acharya, refuting all the charges, said that the e-auction process has been done as per the directives of Supreme Court and the transportation is under continuous monitoring of
the department.
“On what basis, are you saying that the ore is unaccounted? We have done inventory and the same was placed before the Supreme Court. It was also crosschecked by the Apex Court appointed monitoring committee (led by Dr U V Singh). If there is unaccounted ore, prove it,” Acharya told the villagers, who were
left speechless.
He also assured to recognise their Sadhan Multi-purpose Co-operative Society, and get it registered, but said that he cannot assure that mining contracts will be given to that society. “Finally it is for the mine owner or the bidder of e-auctioned ore to decide whom to give the transportation contract,” he said.
Earlier, speaking to media persons Velip claimed that there are over 8 lakh tonnes of unaccounted ore lying at the mining lease site at Cavrem, as against the claim of DMG of 2.75 lakh tonnes, of which 2 lakh tonnes has been e-auctioned and purchased by Chhattisgarh based Bagadiya Brothers Pvt Ltd.
