Team Herald
PORVORIM: Senior Minister and Head of the House Ramakrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar on Wednesday hinted at the government intention of filing a review petition before the Supreme Court in the mining lease renewal matter, stating, “We intend to fight the battle in the court of law.”
Dhavalikar, replying on behalf of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, said the government will release a policy for fresh iron ore mining activities and that it proposes to auction the ore dumps lying at the sites to continue operations and provide livelihood to the people dependent on the industry, post March 15.
The House, which missed Parrikar for a concrete assurance on the vexed mining issue, was unanimous in demanding that mining operations continue in the State even after March 15 and that the government ensure that activities do not stop.
MLAs, however, stood divided on the method to be adopted for grant of fresh leases – auction or setting up a corporation. The MLAs also demanded that the House pass a resolution to lead a 40-member delegation to Centre seeking its intervention to ensure that mining activities continue in the State.
Senior Congress MLAs Pratapsingh Rane, Luizinho Faleiro and Subhash Shirodkar had moved a calling attention pointing to the “anguish and anxiety in the minds of the people of Goa due to the decision of the Supreme Court on the mining issue which will adversely affect mining stakeholders like truck owners, barge owners, etc and deteriorate the unemployment scenario in the State and the steps government wish to take in the matter”.
Rane, demanding that the government file a review petition in the Supreme Court, rejected the auction mode to grant leases stating it is a time consuming process and not in the interest of the industry. “Supreme Court needs to be informed about the consequences of its decision. Government needs to file a review petition so that those sitting in the AC rooms in Delhi know the ground reality,” he stated.
MLAs cutting across party lines – Ravi Naik, Nilesh Cabral, Rajesh Patnekar, Pravin Zyante and Churchill Alemao – too demanded that a review petition be filed. Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco was not in favour of a review petition but demanded that the government immediately auction the leases as per directions of Supreme Court and MMDR Act.
The House stood divided on the issue, with Alemao, Rane, Prasad Gaonkar, Alina Saldanha and others objecting to this citing that it will not serve the purpose.
Replying, Dhavalikar said, “My government is aware about the sentiments of the people of Goa, especially those dependent on the industry. Government intends to fight the battle in the Court of law.” He added, “We are looking at a review petition, but unless and until we take all the stakeholders into confidence we can’t go ahead.”
Dhavalikar informed the House that the Chief Minister will hold a meeting of mining stakeholders, including MLAs, to work out a solution. Speaker Dr Pramod Sawant too said that the final decision in the matter will be taken by Chief Minister in consultation with the stakeholders once he is back.
“Our government will consider all the available options in the best interests of the State and will come out with a policy. In the meantime, to ensure that mining activities continue, we will auction the dumps and the extracted ore,” the Minister said.
Earlier speaking, BJP MLA Nilesh Cabral, who was first to moot for a resolution for 40-member delegation, brought to the notice of the House that the MMDR Act 1957 came into effect in Goa only in 1987, when the Goa Abolition Act 1987 was introduced, as per which all the concessions were converted into leases. “On that ground, the mining lease renewals should be considered from 1987 and not from 1961,” he said.
“Also the question here is, whether the Supreme Court order is applicable only to these 88 mines or those which were not renewed but were granted environmental clearances. There needs to be clarity,” he said.
He was backed by Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo, who said these issues need to be placed before the Supreme Court. “We need to come out with some concrete solution and not just assurances,” he said threatening to sit on hunger strike if the government fails to continue with mining operations.
MLAs from the mining as well as the non-mining belt raised serious concern regarding the livelihood and growing unemployment as a result of the Supreme Court order. “People were slowly coming out of the trauma they faced due to the ban imposed in 2012. Even before they could stabilise, another disaster has hit,” they said.
Leader of the Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar demanded a House Committee to follow up on the government moves on the mining issue. This was, however, rejected.
