PANJIM: The interim stay order granted on unloading and loading of mineral ores at the Kalay Railway Station will continue till January 30, stated the High Court of Bombay at Goa on Tuesday.
During the last hearing on January 16 while hearing public interest litigation (PIL) writ petition filed by the Goa Foundation, the High Court had given a status quo order on the unloading and loading of mineral ore imported by the South Western Railway (SWR) at the Kalay Railway Station in Sanguem taluka, till January 23.
“Until the next date (of hearing), there should not be further loading or unloading of ore and even unloaded ore should not be transported from where it is already lying,” the division bench comprising Justice Mahesh Sonak and Justice Valmiki SA Menezes said.
On Tuesday, the court by a separate order allowed Miscellaneous Civil Application filed by the Goa Foundation in its PIL writ petition.
The Court also impleaded two more respondents i.e. mining company Vedanta Ltd and its contractor. The counsel for these two respondents sought time to file their responses during the next hearing.<
The matter has been posted for next hearing on January 30.
Deputy Solicitor General of India Pravin Faldessai representing the Kalay Station Master and the SWR, stated that he will file his replies on or before the next date of hearing.
The Goa Foundation through its director Dr Claude Alvares has argued that such commercial activities cannot be undertaken in the Wildlife Sanctuary, in view of several provisions of the Wildlife Act, 1972.
The Chief Wildlife Warden has also been made one of the respondents in the petition.
