Licences of 19 mining leases around sanctuaries to be revoked
PTI, PANAJI | 02 October 2011 21:41 IST
The Goa government today said it has initiated the process to revoke licences of 19 mining leases that have been found to be operating within 10 km radius of wildlife sanctuaries or national parks in the state.
State forest minister Filipe Nery Rodrigues said his office has received a communication from the Karnataka forest department, quoting data provided by the environment and forests ministry (MoEF), which claims that these mines are working in violation of the environment clearances (ECs) granted to them.
Rodrigues said there are a few leases that have been found to have given false information to the MoEF while applying for ECs. Goa has 90-odd operational mines that tap around 54 million metric tonnes of iron ore annually, exported to various nations.
The Goa assembly-constituted public accounts committee (PAC), which is investigating into the illegal mining activity, had pointed out that almost 50% of the ECs granted by the MoEF have committed major violations.
Rodrigues said he has asked additional principal chief conservator of forests, Shashi Kumar, to act upon the letter submitted by his Karnataka counterpart. However, Kumar was not available for comment.
The list of mines in the letter include mining leases run by state's top notch firms, including Dempo Mining Corporation, who have sold their leases to Sesa Goa.
The mines that are operating within 10 km radius are owned by VM Salgaoncar Bros and Pandurang Timblo. Also, there is a mine owned by NCP leader Prafula Hede, next to the national park, which also might face suspension.
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all these politicians have plundered goa all these years and our law has woken up when goa is finished.alemao brothers have mined all these years and stacked money in dubai and elsewhere.will we see a clean and transparent goa in the years to com or will it just be a dream which anna hazare is dreaming of.
- justino, dubai | 03 rd October 2011 20:07
http://wikimapia.org/#lat=15.5425933&lon=74.094286&z=15&l=0&m=b
Check the above link..Even a school kid can tell the illegalities.
- vassu, goa | 03 rd October 2011 12:21
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