Team Herald
PANJIM: The Supreme Court has allowed the Goa government to auction iron ore, abandoned at different locations and which was not inventoried earlier, and disposed of writ petitions filed by Goa Foundation and 22 mine owners.
The bench comprising Justice B R Gavai and Justice K V Viswanathan stated that the entire proceeds from the said e-auctions be deposited in the State treasury and not parted with, by the private miners.
The Court also took on record statement made on behalf of the Goa government that the amount realised would not be parted with by the miners and the same was treated as an undertaking given to this Court.
The Goa government had also filed an application seeking permission to auction 1.94 million tons of iron ores lying at different locations across the State, through e-auction.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is scheduled to pronounce its verdict on August 14, on whether its July 25 verdict upholding the power of States to levy tax on mineral rights and mineral-bearing land will have a retrospective or prospective effect.
In a majority 8:1 verdict on July 25, the bench had held that legislative power to tax mineral rights vests with States.
Meanwhile, the Goa govt will e-auction three more mineral blocks spread across 526 hectares of land at Honda, Curpem and Sulcorna and Codli in Phase III.
The last date for the purchase of tender documents after payment of a tender fee on the website of the e-auction platform provider is September 24, and the last date for submission of the bid is October 4. The government had already auctioned nine mineral blocks in the first two phases of e-auctioning.
