New Delhi, Dec 30 (PTI) The Goa chapter of Mining Engineers Association of India (MEAI) on Thursday said it has made a plea to the state government for immediate resumption of mining in Goa to address the unemployment crisis and earn much-needed revenue for the state.
Mining operations in Goa came to a grinding halt in March 2018 after the Supreme Court quashed 88 mining leases.
“The Goa chapter of Mining Engineers’ Association of India’ (MEAI) has written to Pramod Sawant, Chief Minister of Goa appealing for immediate resumption of mining,” it said in a statement.
The industry body, through the letter, pointed out that auction is not suitable for sustainable mineral development in Goa, owing to the peculiar land-related legacies in the state and pending matter in the court.
Further, auction will make the mines unworkable owing to adverse cost implications and reduced mining business, thus affecting state royalty and mineral revenues.
It also expressed apprehensions regarding the current efforts of the state government to identify and grant the mining blocks/greenfield leases through auction process as there is little clarity about the procedures like ‘exploration’ which is fundamental for working out the feasibility of business and for ensuring the fair and competitive auctioning process.
Calling auctioning of mining leases against the spirit of ease of doing business and unfeasible due to pending legal case in Supreme Court since 1998 regarding concessionary rights, MEAI, in the letter to the Chief Minister, observed that it would be unfair if the state of Goa is not granted extension as per MMDR 2015 i.e., grant of 50 years as compared to rest of India.
It strongly demanded necessary legislative amendment prospectively to the concessionary rights and/or legislative amendment to the ‘Goa, Daman & Diu Concessions (Abolition & Declaration as Mining Leases) Act, 1987 (Goa Concessions Act)’ in order to legally give an extension of lease life to the leases in accordance with MMDR 2015 apart from presenting the same in the court.
“The mining industry has been the lifeline of the Goan economy for over 70 years supporting the livelihood of almost 300,000 people…Government must not let ulterior motives derail its efforts to restart mining operations and bring relief to mining dependents and the state’s ailing economy,” Cletus D’Souza, Chairman, MEAI (Goa Chapter) said.
