Team Herald
PANJIM: All reconnaissance permit (RP), prospecting licence (PL) and mining lease (ML) applicants, who were issued ‘Letter of Intent’ by the Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) two years ago, before the commencement of MMDR amendment 2015 are now eligible for grant of iron ore lease or the same will lapse from January next year.
Section 10A (2) (c) of the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Amendment (MMDR) amendment Act 2015 allows the grant of mining leases to all such applicants on submission of relevant documents.
“The Central government has communicated previous approval as required under sub-section (1) of Section 5 for grant of a mining lease, or if a letter of intent (by whatever name called) has been issued by the State government to grant a mining lease, before the commencement of the MMDR Amendment Act, 2015, the mining lease shall be granted subject to fulfilment of the conditions of the previous approval of the letter of intent within a period of two years from the date of commencement of the said Act,” a public notice issued by director Prasanna Acharya states.
“At the same time, all applications of RP, PL and ML, which are pending and come within the purview of Section 10A (2) (c) of the MMDR Amendment Act 2015, shall if not concluded by execution of deeds, etc on or before January 11, 2017 suo-motu lapse,” he stated.
DMG has issued a public notice to all applicants of RP, PL and ML to produce documentary evidence if any showing that their applications get relief under Section 10A (2) (c) of the MMDR Amendment Act 2015, within a period of seven days, along with the soft copy of the documents failing which no further claims would be entertained.
DMG has already renewed 89 mining leases of which 67 have got consent to operate. Goa has 12 reconnaissance permits and 683 prospecting licences.
The Union Mines Ministry last month directed the State government to constitute a three-member committee to scrutinise the pending mineral concession applications. There are three applications pending before the State.
“Section 10A (2) (b) of the Amendment Act clearly states that before the commencement of the amendment, a reconnaissance permit or prospecting licence has been granted in respect of any land for any mineral, the permit holder or the licensee shall have a right for obtaining a prospecting licence followed by a mining lease, in respect of that mineral in the land,” the Ministry said in its communication.
