PANJIM: Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Wednesday said that the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has assured the State that it would revoke the suspension of environment clearances (ECs) of iron ore mining leases by this weekend, and declared that at least 10 leases would begin operations before this season ends. The mining season normally ends by the first week of June with the onset of the monsoon.
The Chief Minister also indicated that the State will decide on a cap for each mine and approach the Supreme Court with a request to raise the annual iron ore cap on fresh extraction, which as per its expert committee interim report is fixed at 20 million tonnes annually. The Apex Court is hearing the illegal mining petition filed by Goa Foundation.
Speaking to Herald, Parsekar said that during a recent telephone communication with the Union MoEF Minister Prakash Javadekar, he was assured “that the suspension of the ECs would be revoked by this week, that is, within next three to four days. Javadekarji had called me seeking some additional details on the representation made by me to his office during my last visit to Delhi, which I gave him. I was assured that the order issued to suspend the ECs would be withdrawn by this week,” Parsekar said.
The chief minister, earlier this month, had made a representation to the MoEF seeking immediate withdrawal of the ECs, so as to resume mining operations.
MoEF had earlier turned down the Goa government proposal to revoke the suspension on the ECs, stating that it would grant fresh ECs to the renewed mining leases, on a case-to-case basis. The Ministry had clarified that the ECs would be granted after studying the six-member capping committee report which would be submitted to Supreme Court in April.
MoEF had in September 2012 suspended ECs granted to 139 mining leases, following a temporary ban on mining imposed by the Goa government on September 10, 2012. The State government revoked its ban last month.
Parsekar, who holds the mining portfolio, said that in the first phase 10 mining leases would be allowed to operate during the ongoing season, with proper distribution of capping as fixed by the Apex Court committee. He said that it is the prerogative and responsibility of the State government to fix iron ore production cap for each mine.
“With just 20 million capping, we cannot resume more mining leases. In the first phase ten leases would be allowed operations by strictly abiding by the rules and guidelines of the Supreme Court,” Parsekar said. He added that the State would approach the Court with a request that the annual capping be increased as with the State’s entire economy being dependent on mining, the 20 million cap is not feasible.
The Chief Minister, however, said that the move to approach the Supreme Court would be post resumption of activities.
The Apex court appointed six-member expert committee to decide on capping will submit its final report by April 21.
