Team Herald
PANJIM: Refuting Goa Foundation’s contention that iron ore mining leases have to be necessarily granted through renewals, the State government on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that as per the MMDR amendment in 2015, the leases got extension till 2020 under the ‘deemed’ provision.
Final arguments in the Writ Petition filed by Goa Foundation are being heard by the Apex Court. Goa Foundation has challenged the second renewal of 88 iron ore mining leases by the Goa government and pleaded for cancellation of second renewal of these mines and that they be granted through auction.
The leases were renewed under Section 8(3) of the Mines and Minerals Development Regulation (MMDR) Act 1957. Additional Solicitor General of India, Atmaram Nadkarni, appearing on behalf of Goa, argued that by virtue of the deeming clause in 2015 MMDR amendment, the leases get extended up to 2020. He also stated that the court in its April 2014 order had allowed ‘State to decide as a matter of policy in what manner mining leases are to be granted in future’.
Nadkarni justified that out of 351 applications of prospecting licenses only 88 have been granted. 188 got the benefit of ‘deemed’ extension. The arguments will continue on Wednesday.
