PANAJI
The Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) has commenced allotment of low grade iron ore dumps, lying outside the lease-bound areas on private land to the erstwhile mining leaseholders.
Total four dumps have been allocated by DMG -- one each to VM Salgaocar Private Limited and Minescape Minerals Private Limited and two to Chowgule and Company Private Limited. These dumps are located in North and South Goa.
Director Mines Narayan Gad told The Goan that the dumps are allotted to the erstwhile mining lease holders as per the policy for Regulating Iron Ore Dump Handling on private land.
He said that the department had in January invited applications from the erstwhile leaseholders, who had paid conversion fees for allotment of dumps.
“The government decided to allow handling of such dumps only after conversion fees for regulating these bumps on private lands and the fine contemplated under Sub-section 1A of Section 33 of the Goa Land Revenue Code are paid,” he said.
He said that the Mining companies would be permitted to remove the dumps within five years and they will have to obtain statutory permissions like the environmental clearance to handle the dumps.
The dump handling is permitted subject to the payment of royalty and compliance of all statutory requirements.
Meanwhile, Gad said that the e-auction of dumps lying on the lease will commence in due course of time. He, however, refused to give an exact schedule.
During the recently held monsoon session, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had announced that a total 20 dumps in South Goa have been identified for e-auction that will be conducted in this very month.
After completing the first day of e-auctioning low-grade iron ore dumps, the directorate of mines and geology (DMG) had cancelled the remaining three phases of auctions of dumps that were scheduled for Jan 31 and Feb 3 and 4 due to a “technical issue”.
As many as 125 bids were received for 18 iron ore dumps accounting to 5.2 million metric tonnes that were slated for e-auction in the month of January-February.
