PANJIM: Claiming that government is not the owner of the mining leased land, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday ruled out taking over of mining through a corporation and said the royalty on the iron ore should depend on its grade.
“I can ask mining lessees to stop extraction of ore but cannot ask them to vacate the land because they own the land… Government cannot run mining through a corporation. As of now, the mines are of the government so no one can touch them,” he told reporters after the oath taking ceremony of newly appointed Goa Governor Margaret Alva.
Parrikar, who is Mines Minister was responding to a question on NGO Goa Foundation’s demand that government take over the mining leases either on its own or through public auctions of the leases.
He further said that the royalty should have correct parameters so that States get their proper share. “Goa was getting royalty of 10 percent while the Centre earns 30 per cent in the form of export duty. I personally feel the royalty should not be uniform but vary from mineral to mineral,” he said adding, “The low grade ore royalty can be small but high grade royalty has to be higher. So also export duty should be imposed grade wise.”
The chief minister also disclosed that amendments to MMDR Act will possibly be done by next Parliamentary session, as it is presently at the discussion stage, with the Centre consulting States having mines, in this regard. Goa has not sent any proposal as of now, Parrikar said but “we are in the process of analyzing the Supreme Court order and will write to them about areas of our concern.”
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the recently announced Budget had said the royalty on minerals, which is due since 2009, would be reviewed.
Goa Foundation Director Claude Alvares had said at a press conference on Friday that mining companies that continue to occupy the leases after the SC judgment declared them illegal, ‘are subject to trespass complaints from original owners’ since the leases have ceased to exist.
