TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Just after the Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s statement on trying to strengthen and sort out iron ore mining industry, reports have surfaced that along with attempts to resolve the opening of remaining Karnataka mines, meetings between the Union Mines Ministry and the Union Law Ministry were held to try and sort out the Goa mining imbroglio too.
However, top sources from the Union minister’s office said that they were not aware of any such move, and they pointed out that the Mines Ministry was not in the picture as it was the Environment Ministry that was the respondent in the case.
According to media reports, there was a meeting between the Law Ministry and the Mines Ministry to discuss options on which to try approach the Supreme Court. The apex court has passed an interim ban on mining activity in the state that is in force for the past 11 months.
The state government has been pushing for at least sale of dumps with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar recently announcing that as per their verification some 24 odd mines are relatively clear, so the government would revoke their suspension.
About seven to eight million tonnes of iron ore are lying idle in Goa and can be exported if the Supreme Court ban is lifted. This ore is lying idle in jetties, the Mormugao port and pit-head.
In April, the chief minister had told the Goa assembly that subject to the law, the government would like to auction the mining leases in Goa considering that mineral resources are a public asset. The statement was made while replying to a starred question by Fatorda independent legislator
Vijai Sardesai on the renewal of mining leases in Goa.
In December 2012, Parrikar had said that he will urge Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to start the process to re-start legal mining in Goa and also file an affidavit in the Supreme Court for the same.
MoEF Minister Jayanti Natarajan had suspended environment clearances of all mines in Goa as per Environment Protection Act in September 2012, a couple of days after the state government issued an order suspending all mining operations until further orders in the wake of findings of Justice MB Shah on illegal mining. Transportation, however, was allowed under that order.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram had said Friday that the government was keen to revive iron ore mining and that the Mines Ministry would move the Supreme Court seeking relaxation in the ban in ore mining.
