PANJIM: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the illegal mining scam is contemplating withdrawing the case registered in connection with condonation of delay and instead request Mines Department to file a fresh complaint based on the Mines and Minerals Development Regulation (MMDR) Act.
The FIR in the case was registered based on the Justice Shah Commission report that had identified 40 mining leases, whose filing of J-Form was condoned by the former Congress-led government. The commission had indirectly named ex-CMs Pratapsingh Rane and Digambar Kamat during whose tenure the condonations were reported.
Sources said SIT is of the view that since Shah Commission’s contentions is not accepted by the Supreme Court, it would be appropriate if Mines department files a case based on the MMDR Act. The Supreme Court, in its order on April 21, 2014 had noted that Shah Commission failed to hear the mining leaseholders on the matter of condonation of delay and hence the same cannot be accepted.
The department had issued show cause notices to 40 mines, whose delaying of the filing of the ‘J Form’ was condoned by the erstwhile government.
It had on September 15, 2012, issued show cause notices to 40 mining firms, to explain why action should not be initiated against them for unlawful condonation of delay and why they should not be declared as null and void. The government thereafter cancelled all the 40 leases.
