PANJIM: The High Court has asked the government to file an affidavit giving details of the steps taken for implementation of the scheme and utilisation of funds accumulated in the District Mineral Foundation Trust.
The affidavit to be filed within the next three weeks should give details of the manner in which the applications received either from the individuals or from the government departments such as any government body, or bodies of local self-governance both urban and rural are administered, processed and decided, the court said.
The division bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Mahesh Sonak has also asked the State government to give details of the steps taken for implementation of The Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana circulated by the Government of India vide circular dated September 16, 2015.
The Court gave the above directions while hearing public interest litigation (PIL) writ petition filed by Sudesh Gaonkar and others, who had challenged the validity of the decision dated March 28, 2020, whereby the funds received were permitted to be utilised for Covid-19 pandemic, subject to the ceiling of 30 per cent.
However, Advocate General Devidas Pangam told the Court that such a provision was made considering the extraordinary situation caused by the pandemic as a one-time measure. He also stated that the ceiling of 30 per cent was not crossed in the State.
The petitioners had complained that proposals received by the North Goa District Mineral Foundation were not dealt appropriately. They stated that out of 143 total proposals, only two proposals had been sanctioned and implemented and 26 proposals relating to schools students’ transport were under consideration. They also pointed out that certain proposals were rejected outrightly. It was also found that the projects sanctioned by the District Mineral Foundation (Trust) were not for the purpose for which the fund was to be utilised.
in terms of the statutory provisions contained in Section 9-B of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.
