PANAJI
The Pramod Sawant-led cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to appoint The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) to advise it on matters related to its iron ore mining dump policy.
Addressing the media after the cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said TERI will be onboarded to advise the government on all aspects related to the management of the mining dumps, including reclamation and waste-stabilising activities.
He said, as per the cabinet decision, TERI will provide advisory support for iron ore extraction and stabilisation activities at the mining dumps on a “nomination basis”.
The decision to take TERI on board has been taken so that issues related to environmental damage due to the activity proposed at the mining dumps in the policy are mitigated.
The State government first notified the policy to regulate the handling of Goa’s iron ore dumps in 2023 and revised it in 2024.
The policy permits the Department of Mines and Geology (DMG) to e-auction existing iron ore dumps and generate revenue besides managing mining waste. It aims to tackle the dumps left unclaimed after the 2012 verdict of the Supreme Court bringing all iron ore mining activity to a halt.
Meanwhile, other decisions taken at Wednesday’s cabinet meeting include approval for the post of Dean of the recently set-up Goa College of Veterinary Science and minor amendments to the Goa Police Service Rules 2022.
The cabinet also approved dry-docking repairs under the Captain of Ports and ratified the contract for training services under the RAMP programme with the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII). The programme involves the training of self-help groups under a Central government scheme.
