TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM/DELHI: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday opined that the Supreme Court will deliver its final judgment on Goa illegal mining case by March end, following the expert committee report submitted to it on capping of iron ore.
Addressing media persons this evening, Parrikar said that the expert committee appointed to recommend how much iron ore can be extracted from Goa’s mines without any ecological damage has been asked to submit its report by March 15.
“During the hearing today, Court has said that it will deliver its final judgment on March 24 or by March end. Mining in Goa will resume accordingly in April,” he said.
Supreme Court in October, 2012 suspended mining operations in Goa following a petition filed by Goa Foundation based on the findings and recommendations of Justice M B Shah Commission report on illegal mining.
Meanwhile, Supreme Court on Monday pulled up an expert committee for not completing its macro environmental assessment study to recommend how much iron ore can be extracted from Goa’s mines without any ecological damage and set the deadline of March 15 for submitting the final report.
The committee constituted by the court was supposed to give its report by February 15 and accordingly the hearing was fixed on Monday. The court wants the experts to tell it what should be the cap for annual extraction of the iron ore extraction to take up the matter again on March 24.
The three-judge Bench of Justices A K Patnaik, Surinder Singh Nijjar and Fakkir Mohd Ibrahim Kalifulla rejected the committee’s request for giving it three more months to complete its study, noting that the mines are inoperative for more than a year and as such extensions cannot be given.
…to present budget on March 6
PANJIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar will table Goa Budget 2014-15 on March 6. The five-day assembly Budget session of the Assembly would be held from March 3 to 7.
Legislative Assembly’s business advisory committee decided the date for presentation of the budget on Monday under chairmanship of Speaker Rajendra Arlekar and the business for the Assembly session.
Speaking to Herald, Speaker Arlekar confirmed that the Budget would be tabled on March 6. The session would begin on March 3 with Governor B V Wanchoo’s addressing the members at 11.30 am. The house is also expected to pass the motion of thanks on the Governor’s address.
Arlekar said that government would be tabling few bills, which are yet to be finalized and private member bills would also be introduced in the short session.
Sans mining revenue for the second successive year, Chief Minister will present his budget with major focus on additional resource mobilization though taxes, but without taxing the voters, as Lok Sabha elections are fast approaching.
Government will persist with its flagship social welfare schemes as part of fulfilling its election manifesto.
