Mining resumption in next five months: Goa CM

Panaji : Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday assured the house to resume the mining operation in next five months provided the auction takes place in next four months and subsequently gets Environment Clearance within one month.

Replying to the questions of Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai and Congress MLA Sankalp Amonkar in regards to resumption of mining, Sawant said that he is also concerned about the mining dependents and all the process has been started.

Sardesai argued that since the last several years, the government is assuring to resume the mining and asked whether a deadline is set to resume mining.

Replying to him, Sawant said that if the auction of 88 leases takes place within next 4 months and then environmental clearance is issued in another one month then mining can be resumed in 5 months.

“At present, we have taken 88 leases for auctioning. If any lease comes under one environmental clearance, it is considered as one block, in such cases within 15 days, environmental clearance can be transferred to a new lease holder. As per MMDR act in such leases, environmental clearance can be transferred for two years and later they can apply for new environmental clearances,” Sawant said.

“For new leases we have engaged SBI cap. SBI cap is transaction advisor to Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and now for Goa. It has been successful in other states,” Sawant said.

Sardesai raised concern that if the leases go to the companies other than locals, then they will engage workforce, trucks and machineries as per their wish and may get it from the states they belong, however Sawant assured that government will take care that Goans are not neglected and deprived from jobs and engaging their machineries. “We will put them in condition”, Sawant said.

“One single company will not be allowed to hold more than 3 leases or mining area above 10 sq km. Existing mine owners of Goa who have done business with transparent manner should get opportunity,” Sawant said.

Sardesai had alleged that the government was not auctioning individual leases and going for cluster or blocks to benefit companies from other states. “This is a conspiracy to keep Goan people out of the business and from taking part in bidding,” he said.

“Goa Mineral Development Corporation was supposed to start the mining, but now it only exists on papers. Even Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Limited were engaged to make geology report, but seven months passed there is no confirmation whether they have done it,” Sardesai pointed out.

“Mining corporation (GMDC) exists. It is functional. It explores how other activities can be done. Corporation may also participate in auctions. Even we can take lease and operate. We are thinking about this possibility. We are looking for eligibility criteria (to take part in the bidding process),” Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said replying to allegations of Sardesai.

Amonkar said that illegal mining benefits very few politicians and businessmen, but legal mining will help the majority of the people.

“Lakhs of people are dependent on mining. But the government has so far given only dates of resumption. Mining should start immediately so the locals benefit from it,” Amonkar said.

Amonkar alleged that the BJP government suspended the mining in 2012 and since then, the people of Goa suffered.