Panaji, March 18 (IANS) People indicted for illegal mining could henceforth be barred from applying for ore extraction licences, a government report states.
The Economic Survey report for this year, tabled Monday in the Goa legislative assembly, also says that it is working on a proposal which disallows fresh applications for mining leases in areas where the colonial Portuguese regime had granted concessions.
“The proposal shall cover rejection of applications made for mining leases, prospecting licences and reconnaissance permits by persons who were involved in illegal mining,” the report says.
The Supreme Court had banned mining in the state shortly after a central government appointed judicial commission exposed a Rs.35,000 crore illegal mining scam in the state. The court had also ordered a probe by its central empowered committee, which has virtually seconded the findings of the Justice M.B. Shah commission.
The Economic Survey also says that no new mining leases would be permitted in the over 300 concessions granted by the Portuguese colonial regime.
Nearly 100 mining leases in these concessions are or have been in operation over the last decade, while the rest have been non-operational.
“A proposal is to be moved shortly to the government for not allowing applications for mining leases, prospecting licences or reconnaissance permits in areas covered under previous concessions granted by the Portuguese government or leases granted under the MMDR (Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation) Act,” the report says.
