Govt regulates land of ore dumps
PRAKASH KAMAT/THE HINDU, PANAJI | 29 August 2013 16:21 IST
The Goa Cabinet on Wednesday passed a policy framework to regulate and regularise the land occupied by mine dumps under the Land Revenue Code.
While creating a policy framework for regulation of the existing dumps, it also approved a policy decision that it will not allow creation of mining dumps in the future.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told presspersons after the Cabinet meeting that the Shah Commission on illegal mining in its report had pointed out that the land used for ore dumps had not been converted in the first place, and as such all the dumps were illegal.
Goa today has approximately 720 million tonnes of dumps of which not more than 10 per cent could be export-worthy, said the Chief Minister.
The Cabinet decision in this regard was part of its move to create a foolproof regulatory mechanism for mining activity in future, he said.
The regulation and regularisation of land-use for dumps in both Revenue land and private lands, through prescribed fees and rentals, is estimated to bring in approximately Rs. 300 crore to the government once the policy implementation starts after the current interim ban on mining activity imposed by the Supreme Court in connection with the ongoing illegal mining case is withdrawn.
In another decision, the Cabinet scrapped the Justice (retd) R.M.S. Khandeparkar Committee set up to probe the mining illegalities in wake of the Justice M. B. Shah Commission report.
Chief Minister said the Committee has been dissolved as criminal aspects of mining illegalities have been forwarded to Economic Offences Wing of the State police by forming a Special Investigation Team and the cases of financial irregularities and loss to State Exchequer have been handed over to Lokayukta for probe.
The State Cabinet also accorded the primary approval to mining leases and directed the State Directorate of Mines and Geology to proceed with signing of lease agreements in cases where stamp duty has been paid by the lessees.
With this, around 24-30 leases could be operated within various legal parameters and subject to obtaining various permissions and clearances once the Supreme Court ban on mining is lifted.
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