Panjim: The State Government may takeover 88 mining lease areas from lessees anytime, as the deadline to vacate the mines ended on June 6, confirmed Advocate General Devidas Pangam while speaking to Herald.
Mining companies had received a setback again on Monday when the division bench of the High Court of Bombay at Goa recused itself from hearing their petition challenging the state government’s order asking the companies to vacate mining leases. Thus, all hurdles to resuming mining by way of auctioning the leases have been cleared.
Meanwhile, the signboard at Goa’s oldest mine, M/s Badruddin Mavani at Kolamb-Sulcornem, Quepem which started way back on 22 February 1952, was whitewashed, indicating the end of lessee’s rights over the mining area.
The mining companies are in no position to challenge the government’s order of vacating the mining area, and no interim relief is possible. The government may thus go ahead with auctioning the mining leases, in order to restart the once major source of revenue for state treasury.
