TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: After a gap of over one-and-half month, Goa would hold its third e-auction of iron ore on May 6, wherein two million metric tons of ore lying at jetties and Mormugao Port Trust would be e-auctioned.
The State through its Metal Scrap Trading Corporation (MSTC) had auctioned 1.62 million metric tonnes of iron ore through two e-auctions — on February 17 and on March 5 — realizing an approximate value of Rs 260.68 crore, which as directed by the Supreme Court would go to the State treasury.
Both the e-auctions were held under the supervision of Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee headed by Dr UV Singh. The process of e-auction has decelerated due to delay in the transportation of already auctioned ore.
Senior Mines Department official confirmed that the State would go in for the third phase
of e-auction on May 6 wherein 2 million metric tons of ore would be e-auctioned. “Before commencement of monsoon, we have to transport the e-auctioned ore,” the official said.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar confirmed to media that they would go for e-auction for the ore, some of which is at jetties and the rest at MPT harbour. “This has still not been finalized. The file has reached me. I will decide by Monday,” he said, adding that the ore at MPT would be sold to avoid storage charges and some amount that is on the jetties to make the sale viable.
State had started auctioning 15 million metric tonnes of iron ore lying at jetties, mining leases, plots, beneficiary plants and port as per apex court directives.
The court in its April 21 judgment has said that since the renewal of all the deemed mining leases in the State had expired on November 2007 and the operation carried out thereafter have been termed illegal, the mining lessees will not be entitled to the sale value of the ore sold in e-auction but to the approximate cost (not actual cost) of the extraction of the ore.
Making government the treasurer of the money collected through e-auction, the court has directed the State to pay 50 per cent of wages of all the workers who were laid off or were not paid salaries since the time the mining operations were suspended.
Government has also been directed to reserve 10 per cent of revenue for the Goan Iron Ore Permanent Fund for the purpose of sustainable development and inter-generational equity.
