Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant recently announced a significant development in response to the ongoing challenges faced by the government in restarting mining activities in the state. In an effort to address concerns raised by three Public Interest Litigations (PILs), which include a unique petitioner—the powerful deity of the Shri Devi Lairai Temple—the government expressed its willingness to exclude the temple from the Shirgao mining lease block.
The deity’s representation in the legal battle was facilitated through the President of the Shri Devi Lairai Temple trust and villagers of Shirgao, who were acting on behalf of the village and its residents. The primary contention of these legal challenges revolved around the government’s alleged oversight in considering the inclusion of the famous Devi Lairai temple, along with homes, schools, and fields, within the boundaries of the mining blocks that were auctioned.
The situation was further complicated by the environmental damage caused by mining activities over the past 50 years, affecting the ecosystem and 17 temples in the Sirigao village. Despite these challenges, the government issued Letters of Intent to three new successful bidders: Vedanta Ltd, Salgaocar Shipping Co Pvt Ltd, and M/s Rajaram Bandekar (Sirigao) Mines Pvt Ltd.
The Bombay High Court at Goa has taken cognizance of these PILs, issuing notices to the government and the successful bidders. The court’s involvement stems from concerns related to the absence of a mining policy, as mandated by a Supreme Court judgment, during the auction process. Additionally, the auctions proceeded without the consent or knowledge of the Gram Sabha of Shirgao, the local governing body, even though the mining areas fall under its jurisdiction.
As the legal battle unfolds, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant encourages dialogue to resolve potential issues rather than outright opposition to mining activities.
