Don’t mining barons know that if you rent a house and commit an illegal act there, you will be asked to leave

The Supreme Court has once again stepped in to completely close out all attempts by mining barons of Goa to try and use every influence they could within the government and stretch the law, to extend their leases which the Supreme Court had declared that illegal activity was going on till 2007

Every Goan should understand simply how the mining barons and the government worked together, against the letter and spirit of what the Court ruled multiple times So let us explain that in the simplest of terms

— The big mining companies entered into contracts with individuals and firms who were the lessees of the lands. These were mining concessions later converted to leases in 1987. So, none of the big mining barons were ever mine “owners”. The majority of them “operated” the leases on behalf of the original lessees. The owner of the leases granted initially by the Portuguese regime as ‘concessions’ are the people of the land and the government holds them in custody on their behalf

— When the demand for iron ore to feed a growing Chinese steel industry started in around 2005-06, these mining barons exploited the mining resources by breaking multiple rules, all of which have been highlighted and confirmed in the Supreme Court Judgment of April 2014

— The Court found that rampant mining was going on in the state despite all the iron ore and manganese ore leases having expired way back in November 2007. All mining activity post-2007 was found illegal in the state and required the same to stop immediately. It said that only fresh mining leases can be granted then

 What does this mean?

— It is like the landlord telling the tenant that his lease of the house has expired. And it cannot renew it further because of illegal activity. And if the tenant refusing to accept this and goes to court repeatedly with a plea that his lease was granted it was for fifty years, so it be extended and the illegality not counted.

Is there any lease agreement for a property in the world which allows you to occupy or work in the property after a court has ruled that illegal acts have been committed on that property?

What did the Goa government do? It first renewed 88 of the expired eases (declared illegal) which got struck down by the Court.

Then, when the High Court dismissed the pleas of the mining barons that their expired and illegal leases should be extended till 2037 it supported one of the major companies, and was on their side when the Supreme Court was approached again for a review of their decision which was dismissed two days ago.

Have you seen any government work so hard to help the common man and fight for them, as much as they fought for mine owners who have looted your resources?

It is an absolute shame that on September 7 when all the attempts of mining companies and the State finally failed, the Supreme Court Bench had to read out the paragraphs of the 2014 judgement declaring all mining illegal stating that every leaseholder was guilty of illegal mining

Do you know what the Supreme Court said while rejecting Vedanta’s appeal to renew their expired and declared illegal leases, up to 2037?

Why is the state of Goa Backing large entities in the renewal of lease without following due process? If the state follows the transparent procedure, it will ensure the best revenue and the best realisation in the interest of the state. If the state wants to maximise revenue, why is the due process of law not being followed?

The minerals which belong to us will be protected by our Mining Corporation. The mining barons wanted to take that right away and continue to capture our mineral resources

Goa should thank the Supreme Court and Claude and Norma Alvares of the Goa Foundation, who never gave up and battled the State and the mining barons in every court possible.

They fought the powerful, mining lobby. A lobby so strong that a former Chief Minister used to wait for a while outside the office of a mining baron if he was busy.

Even now some political parties will be backing this same lobby and continue to take  “presents”  from them in the hope of doing their work. But as long as there is the Goa Foundation, and people’s parties that fight for the people, mining barons will know that it’s time to pay back the loot. It is the people’s money. Our money.