PANJIM: The government will on October 4 hold a meeting on issues surrounding sand mining to chalk out plans to address various concerns raised by NGO Rainbow Warriors in a petition filed before the High Court of Bombay at Goa.
When the Public Interest Litigation (writ petition) came up for hearing on Wednesday, the Bench comprising Justice Mahesh Sonak and Justice Nutan Sardessai were informed that advocates and government officials concerned with the issues related to sand mining will meet on October 4. “..Whether legal or otherwise will meet on October 4 at 5 pm in the office of the Advocate General in an attempt to either sort out the issues or to at least prepare a plan to sort out the issues raised in this petition,” the submission stated. The court thereafter adjourned the matter to October 16.
The NGO, in its petition filed last year, had contended that Ministry of Environment and Forests granted Environment Clearances for sand mining but with certain conditions to be followed by the authorities. In view of rampant illegal sand mining, the court had then said it would hear the authorities on how they would comply with the conditions.
