Team Herald
PANJIM: The much-awaited judgment by the Supreme Court in the writ petition challenging second renewals of 89 iron ore mining leases is expected on Wednesday.
Final arguments in the writ petition filed by Goa Foundation concluded last month with the Court reserving its order.
Goa Foundation, while challenging the second renewals, had pleaded for their cancellation with a request that the leases be granted through auction. The leases were renewed under Section 8(3) of the Mines and Minerals Development Regulation (MMDR) Act 1957.
Defending the renewal, Goa government, represented by senior counsel Atmaram Nadkarni, justified that as per the MMDR amendment in 2015, the leases got extension till 2020 under the ‘deemed’ provision.
The government also pointed out that the apex court in its April 21, 2014 order, had allowed the ‘State to decide as a matter of policy in what manner mining leases are to be granted in future’.
It further claimed that out of 351 applications of prospecting licences, 88 have been granted. 188 got the benefit of ‘deemed’ extension.
The State had castigated Goa Foundation of working with a different agenda and ulterior motive to stall the economy and progress of Goa in the name of illegality.
However, the petitioners had countered this, accusing the State of adopting a “care-a-damn” approach towards public resources, and had claimed that the Apex Court in its judgment is fully cognisant that Goa and Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) needed to have a clean slate and begin afresh in view of the various illegalities and violations committed by the lease holders.
It slammed the State for losing out revenue to the tune of Rs 2 lakh crore owing to its failure to auction the leases.
