PANJIM: The State government has tweaked the Goa Minor Mineral Concession (Amendment) Rules to hike quarrying lease period from 10 years to 30 years, permit use of minor minerals extracted while dredging and introduced substantial hike in penalty and royalty to be paid by violators.
As per the notification issued by the Directorate of Mines and Geology, the Goa Minor Mineral Concession (Amendment) Rules, 2024, have been introduced to streamline and expedite the processes and permissions related to minor minerals.
The State Cabinet has approved the amended the rules on March 10, 2024.
As per the amendment, the period for which a quarrying lease can be granted has been increased from 10 years to 30 years while, minor mineral or minerals found in the course of dredging of water bodies can also be used commercially now with permission from concerned authorities
Any person who intends to bring any minor mineral into the State from outside Goa will have to obtain permission from the competent authority and pay transportation fee of Rs 800 per trip for six or less wheeled vehicles and Rs 1,500 per trip for vehicles exceeding six wheels.
Also fines for illegal extraction and transportation of minor minerals have been hiked from Rs 5,000 to Rs 5 lakh and imprisonment term has been increased to two years. For illegally extracted and lifted minor minerals, violators will have to pay 10 times the royalty payable on such mineral for the first offence and in case of second or subsequent offence, 20 times the royalty payable on such mineral, states the amendment.
