TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Clamping down on ‘raising contractors’ and ‘traders’, State government on Thursday sought to write-off the agreement between the mining lease holder, middlemen and end users, making them null and void and directed them to sign new agreements.
The Directorate of Mines and Geology notification makes it mandatory for the raising contractors, traders and transport contractors to register themselves with the department. Government through a notification issued on October 17 has notified the Goa (Prevention of Illegal Mining, Storage, and Transportation of Minerals) Rules, 2013 putting a bar on contracts for sharing of mineral or long-term sale agreements.
“All contracts/ agreements whether registered or otherwise by whatever name called, entered between lease holders and end-users or traders, raising contractors, transport contractors which authorize sharing of minerals under such contract for transport, raising, processing or trading of mineral shall be void from the date of publication of these rules. Similarly, long-term purchase contract at fixed price shall also come to an end from the date of publication of the rules,” the notification reads.
The move comes almost 10 months after the SC’s Central Empowered Committee termed mining through ‘raising contractor’ as a blatant violation of Mineral Concession Rule (MCR), 1960. The CEC has castigated some of the mining majors like Salgaocar, Fomento and Sesa Goa for allegedly taking over and operating mining leases owned by some other person whether through power of attorney, partnerships or other arrangements.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar during the recently concluded Legislative Assembly session had held traders and raising contractors responsible for illegal mining in State.
The State government has also made it mandatory for the raising contractors and transport contractors to register themselves with DMG falling which the machinery and the vehicles would not be allowed to be used to carry out mining activities in the State. Both will also have to deposit Rs 1 lakh (raising) and Rs 50,000 (transport) as processing fee. The registration would be renewed at the end of financial year.
In Goa, a large number of mining leases are being operated by person(s) other than the lease holders and in flagrant violation of the Rule 37(1) of MCR, 1960. Goa Foundation’s plea before SC pointed out that 11 mining leases are allegedly owned/ operated by Fomento Group, 72 by Salgaocar Mining Industries Pvt Ltd, few by Sesa Goa Limited, Magnum Minerals and others.
