NOC mandatory for ore-laden ships leaving from MPT berths

PANJIM, FEB 4: With Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) implementing the State government’s decision of compulsory NOC before ship laden with iron ore leaves the port, all the ore leaving State’s ports will now be accounted for.
After much delay and pressures from Ministry of Shipping, MPT has made it compulsory for the ships leaving its berths to have NOC from Mines and Geology Department.
Director of Mines and Geology Arvind Lolienkar said that the system has begun from February 1 onwards.
Sources stated that the officials from Union Ministry of Shipping had written letter to MPT Chairman asking him to abide by State government’s directives of making NOC compulsory.
As per figures available from Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association (GMOEA), around 80 percent of the ore exported from Goa leaves from MPT’s berths.
GMOEA’s Executive Director, S Shridhar said that the process of getting NOCs have been hassle-free until now. “We have not faced any problems,” he said.
State-run Panjim Port was the first one to implement compulsory NOC system, which was introduced by Chief Minister Digambar Kamat to arrest revenue leakage and illegal mining.
MPT has been delaying the implementation of this new system. Kamat had told the State legislative assembly that he had to lobby in Centre to make MPT enforce the new system.
MPT handled 40320 million tones of iron ore during period 2009-2010 which was more in comparison to earlier exports. The fiscal 2008-09 saw MPT handling 33809 MT of iron ore and 2007-08 had 27302 MT ore exported from this port situated at Vasco.
Vedanta Resource’s Sesa Goa Private Limited is the largest exporter of ore from this port. For the year 2009-10, 11531 MT ore, 2008-09 11011 MT ore and 2007-08, 8252 MT ore was exported by Sesa Goa from MPT.