TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Apparently indicating in circuitous manner that the State government may not show any alacrity in abiding by the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee’s (CEC) direction on keeping in abeyance all permissions granted for export of iron ore of ostensible Maharashtra origin via Goa, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday said: “Only judiciary has the powers to instruct me”.
Parrikar, though, neither named the CEC nor elaborate on the matter, only stating, obviously apropos of the CEC order: “There is no judiciary order. Only they can instruct me.” He was responding to a question on whether the State government would implement the order of the CEC looking into illegal mining in Goa to immediately halt the export of ore claimed to be extracted in Maharashtra for which, as reported in Herald, the Mines Department had recently issued an NOC to trading company Prime Minerals.
Reacting to Parrikar’s statement, environmentalist Ramesh Gawas stated, “earlier Parrikar said that he does not believe in Supreme Court order and now his statement looks like he believes in the judiciary. CEC is a SC-appointed body and any directions by the Committee are equal to SC order. If Parrikar is clean he should go ahead with CEC directions”.
The CEC in its communiqué on Friday had asked the State government to keep the NOC for export in abeyance till foolproof measures ~ for ascertaining that the ore has actually come from the neighbouring State as was being claimed ~ were in place. The CEC had also asked the State for details like on what basis the permission was granted, which officials cleared the ore and which of them had physically verified the source of ore.
When contacted, Principal Secretary (Mines) RK Varma too reiterated that the Supreme Court order does not ban export of iron ore extracted outside Goa through the State. Asked if the State government would implement the CEC communiqué asking for the NOC to be kept in abeyance, he would only say: “As per the Supreme Court order, mining operations in all mining leases in Goa and transportation of iron ore and manganese ore from these leases shall remain suspended till further order from the Court.” Varma also asserted that the said order does not ban import of iron ore from outside the State or Country into Goa and transportation and export of such imported ore from Goa is not banned.
“Being a party to the petition, the government is aware that it should act responsible in the matter and it shall not indulge in act of omission and commission which shall result in contempt of Court,” he added. He said whatever information has been sought would be placed before CEC. “Will take up the matter with the CEC,” Varma stated.
The Directorate of Mines and Geology, earlier this month, had issued an NOC to Prime Minerals to export iron ore out of Goa which it claimed had been brought to the State from Maharashtra and the export of which had begun from Panjim port a couple of days back.
