PANJIM: Under pressure, the state government has decided to begin executing lease deeds by signing the lease agreements pertaining to the renewal of 13 iron ore mining leases from December 4, thereby lifting the 26-month long mining suspension.
The BJP-led government had suspended all mining activities in the state on September 11, 2012, following the Justice M B Shah Commission report on illegal mining.
Highly placed sources at the Secretariat confirmed that signing of lease agreements of 13 leases would begin from Thursday. “Once the leases are signed, the mining suspension automatically stands lifted,” sources said. The lease holders have raised queries over the delay in signing the lease agreements and lifting the suspension, failing which they are not in position to apply for clearances including environment clearances before the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF).
Further, the government has cleared eight more mining leases for second renewal under Section 8(3) of Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation (MMDR) Act, 1957, the renewal that was due since 2007. With this, the total number of leases cleared for renewal comes to 21, of which the order in case of 13 leases has already been issued. The decision to expedite the lease renewal process was taken following the year’s leave sanctioned to Director of Mines Prasanna Acharya from January 1, 2015.
“The order would be issued within a fortnight following which the lease agreements would be signed before the end of this month,” sources said.
For now, the government has decided not to renew mining leases belonging to Dempo Mining Corporation Limited and now owned by Sesa Goa. There are five such leases, which are currently been investigated for violation of Rule 37 of the Mineral Concession Rule (MCR), 1960. As per Rule 37, the lessee shall not, without the previous consent in writing of the state government, assign, sublet, mortgage, or in any other manner, transfer the mining lease, or any right, title or interest therein.
Also, a decision has been taken not to renew mining leases belonging to Rajesh Timblo (TC No-63/51) and Cosme Costa & Sons (110/53).
The 21 mining leases include those belonging to V M Salgaocar & Bro Pvt Ltd (four leases), Chowgule & Co. Pvt ltd (four leases), Sesa Goa Ltd (three leases), Sociedade Timblo Irmaos Limitada (three leases) and one lease each of Lithoferro, Geetabala Manohar Naik Parulekar, Rajaram Bandekar Pvt Ltd, Kunda Gharse, G N Agarwal, Madachem Bhat Mines Pvt Ltd and Bandekar Bro Pvt Ltd.
Meanwhile, the former director of Timblo Private Limited, Radha Timblo, was on Tuesday grilled by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for nearly five hours in connection with illegal mining, wherein she produced documents pertaining to the financial assets of the company.
Timblo has been asked to furnish additional financial documents related to the company within the next week. She was earlier questioned on November 18.
Timblo Private Limited is amongst the 16 firms which were issued notices by the ED in connection with the money laundering case emerging from illegal mining. Radha Timblo’s son and managing director of the company Chetan has also been questioned by ED. Chetan has again been summoned on December 17.
ED had in June filed the case investigation report (ECIR) under Prevention of Money Laundering (PML) Act, 2002 in the mining scam.
Radha Timblo and the mining firm Timblo Pvt Ltd have also been mentioned in the affidavit filed by the central government in the Supreme Court for allegedly stashing black money in foreign banks.
