PANJIM: The State government is awaiting Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai’s assent to the Bill that will pave the way to establish the Goa Mining Development Corporation.
The Bill that proposes to carry out iron ore mining operations in an “orderly, scientific and ecological sustainable manner” through the Corporation was passed by the State Legislative Assembly on July 30, the last day of the monsoon session.
Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant said, “We have started the process but the Bill has to come back from the Governor with his assent.”
As per the Bill, the Corporation shall engage in the auction of mining leases or prospecting licences and carry out business relating to mining dumps, transportation, extraction of ore, export of ore and mining rejects, slurries, tailings.
The Corporation will have the chief minister as chairman, with Secretaries of Mines, Finance and Environment, Director Mines and Geology, two chartered accountants and a geologist as directors.
The bill proposes that the Corporation will obtain mining leases or grants, prospecting licenses, etc under the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Act (MMDR), 1957 and carry out all the mining operations in accordance with the Act.
