PANJIM: In a step towards removing a major hurdle in resumption of mining activities in Goa, the Union Mines Ministry has announced that it will consider allowing dumping of iron ore rejects outside the lease area, by amending the Mines and Minerals Development Regulation (MMDR) Act, 2015.
The announcement made by Union Mines Secretary Balvinder Kumar came during the 49th Annual General Body meeting (AGM) of the Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI) held in New Delhi, on Monday. Kumar, who was on a two-day visit to Goa on August 22 and 23, received a memorandum from mine owners pleading that dumping of ore be permitted outside the lease area.
“Mines Secretary announced that government is considering allowing dumping of ore outside lease area by making an amendment to the MMDR Act,” FIMI managing committee member Harish Melvani told Herald.
In May, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar had urged Union Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to allow dumping of iron ore rejects outside lease area, considering the limited scope within lease areas.
While in Goa Kumar, who took charge as mines secretary on July 1, reviewed the various steps initiated by the Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) to resume mining operations in the State and to curb illegal mining. Kumar also took stock of compliance of the Supreme Court judgment dated April 21, 2014.
“Kumar has directed DMG and mine owners to ensure that they adhere to Supreme Court directives strictly,” sources said.
Lease owners in a meeting with Kumar highlighted various difficulties faced by them, with the demand to allow dumping outside the lease areas being the major one. “Mine owners pointed out that with dumps on lease areas and also the auctioned ore, they are not in a position to go for fresh extraction as there would be confusion on identification of fresh ore and existing ore,” sources said.
The Supreme Court, in its order, had termed dumping of iron ore rejects outside mining lease area as illegal and since the amended MMDR Act, does not specify anything to the contrary, this remained illegal.
