the goan I network
PANAJI
In keeping with directions issued by the Supreme Court, Director of Mines and Geology Prasanna Acharya has sent out instructions to his department officials and staff to begin the shutdown process of Goa’s mines as well as mine leaseholders to stop the fresh extraction of ore from March 13 at 6pm.
“A separate order with direction to all such leaseholders to stop the extraction of ore from March 13, 2018, is issued. However the inspecting teams should bring to the notice of officers and officials of such working leases about stoppage of extraction of ore by 6 pm on March 13, 2018,” Acharya said in his order to all deputy directors of mines while adding that the transportation of ore from stockyards, jetty or processing plants beyond March 14, of royalty paid ore, may continue.
“No transportation shall be allowed after 6pm on March 14, 2018, from the leases which are granted second renewals,” he added.
“All movable machinery should preferably be taken out from the leasehold area by 1 pm on March 15, 2018 unless otherwise directed or suggested by the Office of the Regional Controller of Mines or Regional Office of MOEFCC, Bangalore who are final authority with regards mining operations in accordance with provisions of MMDR Act 1957 and Rules made thereunder and grant of Environmental clearance and monitoring the compliance of terms and conditions specified therein respectively,” he said in his order.
Once the process is complete, all leases shall be inspected by the technical staff of the Directorate of Mines and Geology either jointly or independently with Officers of Indian Bureau of Mines, Directorate of Mines Safety, Forest Department, MOEFCC, Goa State Pollution Control Board, etc from 1 pm on March 15, 2018 onwards.
Starting Tuesday, the Director of Mines and Geology formed four teams formed for inspections of working and non-working leases who were granted Second renewal of mining leases in Goa.
The team for the first day, Tuesday, focussed on identification of stacks within the working leases/mines collecting details of such stacks as to whether such stacks are either freshly extracted mineral or e-auction cargo or old dumps.
“Photographs of all such stacks shall be collected. All the mining leaseholders who were granted second renewal should be directed to display a board as was done during inventorization of e-auction cargo with the details of stacks as to whether such stacks is from fresh production or e-auction cargo or waste dump which is the subject matter of Writ Petition No. 435/2012.
