Team Herald
PANJIM: Raising strong objection to the Governor’s letter to Centre seeking legislative cure for resumption of iron ore mining industry in the State, Goa Foundation called upon Governor Satya Pal Malik on Friday stating that formation of the government-run Mineral Development Corporation (MDC) is the only solution to the mining crisis.
Goa Foundation Director Claude Alvares during his meeting with the Governor requested that the letter forwarded to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking legislative cure to extend the iron ore leases till 2037, be withdrawn or modified in the interest of those dependent on the mining industry.
“The Foundation said that only a Goa Mineral Development Corporation will best meet the interests of the State, whereas the so called legislative cure to extend the lease till 2037 will only benefit a handful of mining interests and their cronies, and provide peanuts to the State economy and almost nothing for the Goan public and future generations,” Alvares said in a press statement issued.
“If a Corporation is set up, all persons employed on the muster rolls of the former leaseholders can be recruited and given permanent jobs as it is only these employees that have created the mining industry over the last several decades and have experience to run it,” he added.
In his letter to the Governor, Alvares said that the Corporation would maintain all leases in its name and all ores would be extracted by private parties, village cooperatives or private societies pursuant to extraction tenders.
“However, after extraction, all ores would be deposited with the State government, which would e-auction them with the help of expert bodies including government corporations like MMTC. Thus, incentive for illegal mining would come to an end. Most important, maximum value would accrue to the State of Goa,” he said.
He pointed out that if the leases were kept always in the name of the Corporation, environment clearances would also be easier to obtain.
“In light of this, your Excellency might consider modifying your letter to Amit Shah. Please complain to him that the State government is only promoting the interests of cronies. Then demand to know from the Chief Minister, why he is not forming the Goa Mineral Corporation. Nine States of India have such corporations. Many in fact are doing quite well,” the letter added.
During the meeting, the Foundation rejected the notion that they are responsible for any of the crisis in the mining industry.
“The inability or unwillingness to start mining except through dependence on the discredited mine owners has to be placed firmly in the lap of the State government, which refuses to follow the Constitution and the directions of the Supreme Court of India,” Alvares informed the Governor.
