BY A GT REPORTER
PANJIM: Chief Minister Digambar Kamat yesterday assured Speaker Pratapsing Rane that the government will not allow new mining at Dhave, Sattari in the stretch of Western Ghats even if it was granted environmental clearance by the Union Ministry of Forest and Environment and that non-operating mines will not be renewed.
The Chief Minister also reiterated that the government will close all illegal mines in the state and that all MLAs will be taken into confidence before drafting the new Mining Policy for Goa and see that the interest of the state was protected. He was replying to the discussion of Demands for Grants for mines, industry commerical taxes, art and culture, information techonlogy, etc in the Legislative Assembly.
He told the House that under MMRD Act, if any mine owner applies for renewal of licences after the expiry of his lease licences, the lease continues because this entire process consumes a lot of time for clearance. He said that following demand for low grade iron ore in countries like China, some of the closed mines re-started their operations including the entry of traders into the business. He said that the government passed a regulation to regulate these traders and so far 260 traders had been registered with the Department of Mines, while the officials are checking from where they procured the iron ore and stored.
He said that a committee of officers headed by Chief Conservator of Forests had been authorised to conduct inspections and initiate cation against the illegal mining in the state.
Earlier, Leader of the Opposition Manohar Parrikar rued that the Government of India was not bothered to check the reports submitted by the public while, the environmental clearances granted by them was also not available on the website. He said that there was 75 per cent increase in mining operation in the state. He said that there were only 74 mines registered in 2004 and the same had increased to 115 mines (though official figure as 108), of which 58 mines were located in Sanguem taluka.
Aldona MLA Dayanand Narvekar demanded that the government should constitute a House standing committee to look into the complaints of all illegal mining in the state. He said that these illegal mining was doing nothing good for Goa and mining business was increasing despite global recession. He demanded that the NEERI report regarding the working of mining and environmental degradation should be reflected in the draft mining policy.
