TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The government intends to renew 50 mining leases overall, which are outside the buffer zones of wildlife sanctuaries and national parks and those accused of minimal violations, for a period of 20 years. In the second phase, government has so far collected Rs 315 crore as stamp duty from 16 mining leases, while another six lease owners would be issued notices for payment of stamp duty, next week.
“We had received a total of 337 lease applications for second renewal which are due since November 2007. We are now considering the applications on a case to case basis,” a senior Mines Department official confirmed. The official said that government is considering renewing only 50 mining leases for the state as rest are involved in major violations as pointed by Justice M B Shah Commission, Central Empowered Committee (CCE) and Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
“These are those leases, which are outside the protected areas and involved in minor violations,” the official said.
A total of 90 mining leases were operational in the state before the BJP government imposed a ban on September 11, 2012. Thereafter as part of renewals, in the first phase, The government had in 2013 collected revenue of Rs 361 crore in form of stamp duty from 28 mining leases, of which lease deeds with 13 lease owners have already been executed under Section 3(8) of Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation (MMDR) Act 1957.
These leases belongs to Sociedade Timblo Irmaos Limitada (TC No -45/52 and 88/52), Sesa Goa Ltd (6/55, 126/53, 70/52) Geetabala Parulekar ( 55/51), V M Salgaocar & Bro Pvt Ltd (TC No- 50/53, 13/55, 29/54 and 83/52), Kunda Gharse (51/52) and Pandurang Timblo Pvt Ltd (51/53). It also includes five leases belonging to Dempo Private Limited, now owned by Vedanta (Sesa) Goa.
In the second phase, Directorate of Mines and Geology has collected stamp duty of Rs 315 crore from 16 mining leases, which were issued notices last week. “Six more leases would be issued notices by next week,” the official said. The lease holders include names of mining bigwigs such as Sesa Goa Ltd, Sociedade Timblo Irmaos Limitada, Pandurang Timblo Pvt Ltd and V M Salgaocar.
The Goa government had in 2012 amended the Stamp Duty Act charging 15 per cent duty on the amount of projected royalty for over 20 years.
