TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The State Mining Policy 2012 which is to be submitted to the government next week has recommended capping of ore exports to 45 Million Tones (MT), of which 25 MT can be tapped from low grade ore from dumps.
The Directorate of Mines and Geology department which re-vetted the policy, missed its July 15 deadline to submit the policy to the government.
Director Mines Prasanna Acharya, who is currently in New Delhi, said that the policy was supposed to be submitted by July 15 but it could not be done because he is in Delhi to attend the hearing on mining cases.
“The policy is almost ready and would be submitted to the state government by next week,” he said adding ‘once it is submitted to the government, the policy would be notified through official gazette within a month’.
The policy was kept in public domain on August 8, 2012 after it was tabled in the House.
The policy which recommends handling of dumps was strongly criticized by Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) and Mines Ministry.
Environmentalists had also termed the Government’s decision to allow handling of dumps as ‘a sin bigger than that of Digambar Kamat government.’
The policy also aims at conservation of the minerals for future generations and creation of suitable infrastructural facilities.
It also states that a fair share of revenue collection from minerals will be utilised to improve the lives of those residing in mining areas besides taking steps, both regulatory and developmental, to ensure zero tolerance to illegal mining.
