TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The much debated draft State Mining Policy 2012, which was the bone of contention between the State and Central Government over handling of dumps, would be finally announced on July 15 and notified by the month end. The policy recommends capping of ore exports to 45 million tones (MT) of which 25 MT can be tapped from the low grade ore, piled in the form of dumps. The government is also going ahead with all its recommendations including handling of dumps.
The draft was made public almost a year back.
The Directorate of Mines and Geology is also in the process of amending the ‘Goa Prevention of Illegal Mining and Transportation and Storage of Mineral Rules, 2004’ to give more teeth to enforcement agencies to curtail illegal mining and related activities in the State.
Speaking to reporters, Director of Mines Prasanna Acharya said that the department has received over 50 objections/suggestion on the draft mining policy, which is taking final shape and would be announced by July 15.
Acharya said that the policy will be more pragmatic in its approach towards the mining as a business and curbing the illegalities therein. “All efforts have been made to incorporate the various suggestions received from sections of society while drafting the final policy,” he said.
Director said that government is going ahead with all its recommendations including handling of dumps and wherever necessary required permissions would be taken.
The policy was kept in the public domain on August 8, 2012 after it was tabled in the House. The policy recommendation supporting handling of dumps, was strongly criticized by Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) and Mines Ministry, stating that government cannot go ahead with dump handling policy without prior permissions from them.
When asked about the delay in finalizing the policy, Acharya said “the department was busy with the mining case before Supreme Court and other related issues following Shah Commission report”.
Meanwhile, Acharya said that the survey data of the Digital Global Positioning System (DGPS) would be matched with the satellite images procured from Indian Space Research Org.
