the goan I network
PANAJI
The Supreme Court of India has reserved its judgement on a petition filed by mining companies which had challenged the decision of the Bombay High Court at Goa to disallow the transport of iron ore after March 15, 2018, the last day that mining activities were allowed in Goa as per the Supreme Court order.
Arguments were heard in the Supreme Court on Thursday in which senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi told the court that while mining has come to a halt there is a lot of ore lying at the mines which has been mined before March 15, 2018 for which royalty has been paid. He sought that this ore may be allowed to be transported.
The State government had initially in an order issued by the Chief Secretary allowed transportation of ore extracted prior to mining ban and lying inside as well as outside leased areas.
However, the High Court had stopped the movement of all ore after it prima facie, was of the opinion that transportation of ore was not consistent with the Supreme Court’s order which directed that all mining activity come to a close on March 15.
“Time is granted to arrange affairs, and to enable arranging the affairs, that liberty is granted to carry out mining operations. It is a permission with a limited objective. Thus,
the liberty granted to carry out mining operations till March 15, 2018 was just a component of larger indulgence given by the Supreme Court to arrange the affairs within five weeks. But this was not a charter to continue excavation as if nothing was wrong,” the High Court had observed.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in a statement said he was hopeful of a positive order.
“Arguments have been concluded today. If permitted by the Supreme Court, it will be temporary relief to mining affected areas. The judgment is awaited which is likely to be passed soon,” Sawant said.
