PANJIM: Nearly 50,000 tonnes of material consisting of Rune of Mine (ROM) and iron ore fines were transported from mining plots to jetties after March 15 in violation of the Supreme Court judgment. Lease holders also transported nearly 40,000 tonnes of e-auctioned ore during the same period.
The Supreme Court on February 7 had quashed and set aside the second renewals granted to 88 mining leases while directing them to stop operations after March 15. Accordingly, DMG ordered a stoppage of all mining operations including transportation of ore from March 16.
However, on March 21 the State allowed transportation of ore, for which royalty was paid and that was lying outside the lease areas, before March 15. The High Court of Bombay at Goa, through its judgment on Friday has set aside the State government’s March 21 order.
As per the information available, from March 16 to May 3, leaseholders were involved in transporting 48,785.93 tonnes (0.048 million tonnes) of ore from plots to jetties.
Leaseholders like Fomento Resources Pvt Ltd, Minescape and Kedar Ores Pvt Ltd, Minescape Minerals Pvt Ltd, Timblo Pvt Ltd, Goldwin Ferro Alloys Pvt Ltd, etc were issued permits to transport ore.
From February 7 to March 15, 6.137 million tonnes of ore were
transported, while fresh production amounted to 2.25 million tonnes.
As per the government submission, for the last three years from 2015-16 to 2017-18, in all 37.84 million tonnes of ore were extracted, of which 10.95 million tonnes of ore were for the last financial year. In all 5.17 million tonnes of ore were extracted during the three years and is still lying within leasehold areas.
Currently, 3.10 million tonnes of ore are lying at jetties, plants and plots, while another 5.17 million tonnes of ore are lying at the leases.
With so much lying outside and inside the lease area, the High Court has granted the government four weeks to decide on ownership rights as a custodian of the mineral resources and its powers to take possession, sell and dispose of the ore in question.
