TEAM HERALD
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
PANJIM: The State government Saturday submitted the long-awaited affidavit on the Goa Foundation petition praying that the Apex Court vacate its October 5, 2012 order banning mining activities including transport and export of ore in the state.
The affidavit was cleared by the Cabinet to give the message that what is stated in the affidavit “will be the stand of the government ” and it was not just a mines department document, the Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar had told media after the Cabinet meeting clearing the file.
The case could come up for hearing on February 15.
Sources say that the affidavit also asks that the government be allowed to handle and export dumps, promising to do it without affecting the environment. Also alleging that the petitioner in the case had misinformed the court ~ a charge already articulated by the chief minister ~ the affidavit) claimed that it was capable of handling mining in the state and was in a position to identify legal and legal mining, they added.
Sources also informed that the affidavit did not agree with the SC-appointed CEC views on the state of mining in Goa as also the Justice M B Shah Commission of Inquiry report.
It may be recalled that Parrikar after the Cabinet meeting which cleared the affidavit had alleged that the petition was based on a mischievous interpretation and claimed that though the government had already started taking action on illegal mining, this was not reflected in the affidavit.
Parrikar had also said that the government affidavit would argue that there was a change in the government and the chief minister was not the one who was indicted by the Shah Commission.
Parrikar had also earlier pointed out that though he agreed with the Shah Commission that there were illegalities, the amount of illegalities was the point of contention and he was of the opinion that the loss to the state was in consonance with the PAC report generated under his stewardship.
