Goa Mining News

Ensure pumping facility at mining pits, says collector
Times of India | 1 hour ago
Times of India
1 hour ago

Bicholim: Following reports that the mining pits in Bicholim taluka are in need of urgent safety measures to avoid any tragedy during the monsoon, a team of senior officers headed by North Goa collector, Mamu Hage, inspected the pits on Friday. Hage instructed the mining company and administrative officials to undertake safety measures wherever necessary to avoid any eventualities during the monsoon. He also instructed the officers of various departments and mining companies present to provide pumping facilities for all trenches to prevent emergency situations and to undertake precautionary measures where there are possibilities of breaching of dumped ore. The collector also instructed the mamlatdar and deputy collector to remain vigilant during the monsoon. Sites at Kudne, Sanquelim, Shirgaon, Lamgaon, Poira, Bicholim and Mulgaon villages were inspected. Chief minister Pramod Sawant has asked the administration to submit a report on the safety measures to be adopted in association with mining companies. Asked about the situation, Sawant said two to three mining pits are risky and efforts are on to undertake rewatering. In a Pissurlem mine, a pump has been set up and, by Monday, dewatering will start in the other two. Meanwhile, an emergency control room has been set up in Bicholim taluka and mamlatdar Laxmikant Kuttikar and officers of various departments have been instructed to adopt safety measures with the cooperation of talathis and panch members.

Ensure pumping facility at mining pits, says collector
  • CM assures new infra to pump out water from mining pits

    • Times of India

    Bicholim: Chief minister Pramod Sawant has assured that new pumps will be installed, pipes will be laid and electricity connection provided to pump out water from mining pits to avoid any mishaps during the monsoon. Sawant’s assurance came after mining companies removed their infrastructure after they were ordered to vacate the leases before June 6. An official said Sawant had a joint meeting and instructed officials to set-up an emergency control room to take immediate steps. “With mining companies no longer being owners of the mines, the responsibility for upkeep of the pits should be taken by the government,” a mining company official said. Bicholim MLA Chandrakant Shetye said that the government should immediately inspect all mines and take adequate measures to ensure that no mishaps occur during the rainy season . Farmers, meanwhile, fear that if steps are not taken in time, their crops will get affected if the mining slurry gets washed down into the plains when it rains heavily.

Will protect mining workers interest: CM
Times of India | 1 day ago
Times of India
1 day ago

Bicholim: Following a demand by mining union workers to know their fate after June 6 when the government will take over lease areas, chief minister Pramod Sawant assured to protect their interest. Sawant was responding to a delegation that met him at the Sanquelim Ravindra Bhavan and submitted a memorandum calling upon the government to take care of workers’ interests. The workers demanded that existing workers get the opportunity to work even after the leases are handed over to a third party. They also said that they should continue to get salaries and those without salaries should be aided through the workers' security fund. “The government should extend full cooperation towards the education of workers’ children, and workers should get employment at the same place after the corporation is formed,” they said.

Will protect mining workers interest: CM
Govt will requisition pumps from mining firms to dewater pits: Goa CM
Times of India | 1 day ago
Times of India
1 day ago

PANAJI: Chief minister Pramod Sawant said the state government will requisition water pumps from mining companies to drain water from mining pits during the monsoon in order to prevent any mishaps. He was speaking after meeting with the chief secretary, the directorate of mines and the disaster management authority to discuss safety measures that need to be taken up at mining pits. “If mining companies are not ready to take safety measures at mining leases during the monsoon, the water resources department and public works department will take over and manage the matter,” Sawant said. The chief minister said that after the state ordered mining companies to vacate their leases before June 6, they had begun removing water pumps from the mining pits. “We have, however, told them not to remove the pumps that are utilised for dewatering the pits,” he said. Sawant had on Tuesday said new pumps would be installed, pipes would be laid and electricity would be provided to dewater mining pits during the fast-approaching monsoon. On May 4, the state government had initiated the process to take over 88 mining leases from lessees whose second renewal was quashed by the Supreme Court in February 2018. The directorate of mines and geology had issued notices to all 88 mining companies to vacate the leases within a month. On April 20, chief minister Pramod Sawant had held a meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah over the mining issue and a decision was taken to auction the 88 mining leases.

Govt will requisition pumps from mining firms to dewater pits: Goa CM
Goas 1st biodiversity heritage site hosts khal jevan ritual
Times of India | 1 day ago
Times of India
1 day ago

Keri: At Purvatali Rai at Barazan in Surla, Goa’s first biodiversity heritage site, villagers recently performed the annual ritual of offering meals to express gratitude for an abundant harvest. Purvatali Rai is an untouched patch of forest protected as sacred by the local community for centuries. The sacredness comes from it being considered the abode of a folk deity. Every year, the farming communities of Surla assemble at the Rai under the cover of an ancient jackfruit tree and relish meals cooked from the first rice harvest of the winter crop. Sharing the folk belief behind the ‘khal jevan’ ritual, Tulshidas Vithal Ghadi, who performs it, said, “There was a time in the ancient past when the villagers lived under the terror of Betal. At the time they approached the devotees of Mallikarjun. On their advice, a bunch of ripe bananas was placed inside a well and Betal was asked to eat it without using either his hands or legs. When he descended into the well, the god Mallikarjun closed the mouth of the well mouth with a boulder thus freeing the villagers from his terror.” Every year, after reaping paddy cultivated during the winter, dishes prepared from the new grain are offered to Betal and other unseen spirits in the vicinity. Later, villagers eat the meal. “For, the last 18 years, haphazard mining activities had threatened our agriculture. However, timely assistance rendered by swyampurna mitra Subrai Kanekar helped us get a good harvest. This year, we all assembled to perform the rituals at Purvatali Rai to express the gratitude to the deities,” Vishnu Natekar from Surla said. Surla, before the onset of mining, was predominantly an agricultural village irrigated by traditional dams and channels. After recent mining restrictions, villagers struggled to revive agriculture. This year, they gained some success and decided to perform the ‘khal jevan’. A small cradle along with numerous items, including banana saplings, were tied to the sacred mango tree, while a white cloth with a bunch of bananas was tied to the sacred jackfruit tree.

Goas 1st biodiversity heritage site hosts khal jevan ritual
Mining co moves HC over govt order to vacate leases
Times of India | 2 days ago
Times of India
2 days ago

Panaji: A mining company has approached the high court challenging the order issued by the state government asking mining companies to vacate 88 mining leases before June 6. Advocate general Devidas Pangam told TOI that the matter is likely to come up for hearing on Wednesday. The state government on May 4 initiated the process to take over 88 mining leases from lessees whose second renewal was quashed by the Supreme Court in February 2018. The directorate of mines and geology had issued notices to mining companies to vacate the leases within a month. TOI was the first to report that 88 mining leases would be included in the list of leases to be auctioned. On April 20, chief minister Pramod Sawant had a meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah over resumption of mining and a decision was taken to auction the leases. “The state government directs leaseholders whose leases were quashed by the Supreme Court to comply with the provisions of Rule 12(1) (hh) of the Minerals (other than Atomic and Hydrocarbons Energy Minerals) Concessions Rules, 2016 within a month from May 6 to June 6, 2022, failing which further action will be initiated as deemed appropriate in terms of the MMDR Act and the Rules made there under,” director of mines Vivek H P had said in the notices to leaseholders. The department had said that the apex court in 2018, while quashing the second renewals, granted a period of six months to all lessees to carry out transportation of minerals. The department had made it clear that the Supreme Court in 2020 had granted time up to the end of January 2021 for the removal of minerals excavated/mined on or before March 15, 2018, subject to the payment of royalties and other charges.

Mining co moves HC over govt order to vacate leases
Appoint head of mines corp: Dept to govt
Times of India | 5 days ago
Times of India
5 days ago

Panaji: The directorate of mines and geology has decided to ask the state government to appoint the chairman and directors for the newly formed Goa Mineral Development Corporation so as to get the rules framed and make the corporation functional. A senior officer said that the law department has raised queries stating that the corporation’s rules have to be framed in consultation with the corporation. The officer said that, as per the law department, the state government has to now appoint the chairman and director for the corporation so that rules are framed and finalised. Earlier, the mines department had framed the rules and sent them to the law department for vetting. But the same file was returned to the mines department with queries. “We have cleared the queries raised by the law department and the file will go to the government,” the officer said. As per the Goa Mining Corporation Act, 2021, the chief minister is the chairman of the corporation with the MLAs representing mining belt constituencies as members. Earlier in September, the governor had granted his assent to the bill, making it an Act and setting the stage for the corporation. Mining in Goa came to a halt in March 2018, after the Supreme Court quashed the second renewal of 88 mining leases. On September 7, the apex court dismissed an appeal filed by mining companies to allow them to operate mining leases till 2037. To restart mining activities in the state as early as possible, the state government is likely to first auction the 88 leases against which the government has initiated the process of takeover and the companies have been asked to vacate the leases within a month. A senior government officer had said that opening new leases would take longer than restarting existing mines that were operational.

Appoint head of mines corp: Dept to govt
Mining is vital for Goa, says CM
Navhind Times | 1 week ago
Navhind Times
1 week ago

Staff ReporterSankhaliStating that the government will take whatever steps are required to resume mining in Goa, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said mining activity relates to the livelihood of many people in the state.Calling mining the backbone of Goa’s economy, he said the government is waiting for the permission to restart the activity soon and added that directives of the Supreme Court will be followed.“Some people are objecting to the resumption of mining activities but they should understand that it affects the livelihood of people,” Sawant said. He was addressing a seminar organised by the District Mineral Foundation and the Mineral Foundation of Goa in Sankhali. The seminar was held in collaboration with the Directorate of Mines for secretaries and block development officers.North Goa District Collector Mamu Haage, Mineral Foundation member secretary Manuel Barretto and others were present on the occasion.Sawant said many new initiatives will be taken up by the state government to make Goa self-sufficient. He also said the district mineral fund is of around `500 crore and added that the government will see how it can be utilised properly. Stating that the MineralFoundation of Goa has done a good job in the mining sector, Sawant said many projects related to education, health infrastructure and water have been undertaken using the district mineral fund.“The dream of a self-sufficient Goa will soon be realised if government officials like panchayat secretaries and block development officers create awareness among people,” the Chief Minister said. “A special cell will soon be set up in the state to understand public grievances,” Sawant said adding that it will help resolve the problems of the people.“Many people in the government departments are performing well. They have done a very good job. However, a government servant is on duty for 24 hours and should work for the betterment of the people and also guide them,” the Chief Minister said.

Mining is vital for Goa, says CM
Do not obstruct move to restart mining: CM
Times of India | 1 week ago
Times of India
1 week ago

Panaji: Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Friday urged the people of the state not to obstruct the government initiative to restart mining activities. He said that the government has taken many steps to restart the sector and the results will be seen soon. Some people only see the mining industry as destructive, but “mining can be also done in a sustainable manner”, the CM told a training workshop on the District Mineral Foundation, organised by the Mineral Foundation of Goa and the directorate of mines and geology at Sanquelim. The workshop was conducted to sensitise block development officers (BDOs) and panchayat secretaries, Sawant said. “Many people are dependent on mining. While restarting mining, transportation of iron ore and auctioning of mining leases will focus on the livelihood of mining dependants,” he said. Lashing out against those approaching courts to stop mining activities in the state, Sawant said, “Don’t stop mining activities only for the sake of it. Also see the condition of the people staying in the mining belt.” No one has a personal interest in the industry, he said. “The state government’s interest in restarting mining is to get revenue for Goa and employment for the people.” “I live in the mining belt and I have seen the condition of the people there. As chief minister of Goa, I will take careful steps to start mining activities following the Supreme Court guidelines, but some people are obstructing the same,” Sawant said. Praising the District Mineral Foundation for the good work it has done in the years mining had come to a halt in the state, the chief minister said that whatever projects came before it, all have been taken in both the districts. Sawant said that there is over Rs 500 crore in the Goa Mineral Ore Permanent Fund, which will be utilised for developing the mining belt. There are two major projects in the pipeline at Pale and Surla villages, he said, adding that the government is using water in mining pits for irrigation purposes in Surla. “Our next step will be to see how the district mineral fund can be utilised in public interest to achieve swayampurna,” Sawant said.

Do not obstruct move to restart mining: CM
Centre aims at easing mining operations of minor minerals
Navhind Times | 1 week ago
Navhind Times
1 week ago

Staff ReporterPanajiThe Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEF& CC), through a notification on Tuesday, brought in reforms in the mineral sector aimed at easing mining operations of minor minerals and streamlining the public hearing process for grant of environment clearance (EC) for all minerals.Henceforth, minor mineral projects will be exempted from complying with the general conditions under the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006.The notification issued by the MOEF & CC says that since the central government has delegated the power to grant environment clearance (EC) to the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) to all minor mineral mining projects, irrespective of the mining lease area, the applicability of the general conditions for minor minerals has lost its relevance.Therefore, the government has “deemed it necessary to remove the applicability of the general conditions for mining of minorminerals.”The general conditions are voluminous and differ for each product and project. They relate to complying with standard EC conditions such as obtaining clearance from the National Board for Wildlife, air quality monitoring, water quality monitoring, etc. Towards streamlining the public hearing process for all minerals, the notification mentions that one of the factors for delay or postponement of the public hearings is the non-availability of the district magistrate or his representative not below the rank of an additional district magistrate to preside over the proceedings of the public hearing.In future, the ministry has permitted the district magistrate to authorise an officer not below the rank of sub-divisional magistrate to preside over the public hearing of minor minerals.Further the minimum notice period for public hearing has also been brought down to 15 days in case of postponement of the public hearing. Previously, the time duration for convening the rescheduled public hearing had to be not less than forty-five days from the date of first advertisement.As per the new directive of the ministry, a minimum notice period of fifteen days shall be provided to the public before the re-scheduled date of the public hearing, for furnishing the responses in writing provided that the state pollution control board along with concerned authorities ensure that all requisite documents are available to the public from the date of first advertisement till convening of the re-scheduledpublic hearing.

Centre aims at easing mining operations of minor minerals
Holders loath to vacate mining leases
Navhind Times | 1 week ago
Navhind Times
1 week ago

Want notice held back till petition is decided by Supreme CourtPanaji: Served with notices to give up ownership of the 88 cancelled mining leases, Goa’s mining companies are looking for a way out by way of the pending matter in the Supreme Court on the status of concessions.Information gathered by this daily reveals that a prominent iron ore exporter approached the Directorate of Mines on Monday asking it to keep the notice on hold until the petition seeking the status of Goa’s mining leases is decided by the apex court.Further, more companies are expected to make similar demands with the state government, according to industry sources.Companies are also gearing to move the High Court of Bombay at Goa to seek a stay on the notice, which directs the leaseholders to remove material, equipment, machinery, etc from the mining sites.The industry, it is learnt, is treating the notice served to the leaseholders as one of the processes of the state government to restart mining activities.“It is a statutory procedure and the government has issued notices, going by the rules, for auction. However, Goa has a different historical mining background and the notice can be contested,” said a source.A petition challenging the central laws that treat Goa’s mining concessions, granted by the Portuguese, as mining leases is pending before the apex court for more than two decades. The petition was filed sometime in 1995 and the case is awaiting a larger bench in the court.In a major development, the state government, on May 5, as a precursor to auction, moved to take possession of the mining leases by serving notices to the holders of the 88 mining leases that were cancelled by the Supreme Court vide its order of February 7, 2018.The notice gave one-month time, until May 6, to the leaseholders to vacate the lease areas and surrender ownership to the government. The 88 leases are all working mines that operated at their full permitted capacity of 20 million tonnes in 2016-17 and provided royalty of `310 crore to the state exchequer.Mining industry in the state is closed since March 16, 2018, on the apex court order, due to illegalities in the grant of leases and consequent loss to the state. To restart mining, the government was initially looking at a legislative and judicial cure before being asked by the Mines Ministry to go by the auction route mandated under the MMDR Act.In July 2021, the Supreme Court rejected the government’s plea to review its 2018 verdict. Further, a special leave petition (SLP) by mining companies seeking validity of the mining leases until 2037, was also turned down by the apex court.

Holders loath to vacate mining leases
Goa: Conduct detailed survey of 58 leases, investigating team tells mines bureau
Times of India | 1 week ago
Times of India
1 week ago

Panaji: The special investigation team (SIT) probing the Rs 35,000 crore Goa mining scam has written to the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), asking it to conduct a detailed survey of 58 mining leases to ascertain whether there was actual iron ore extraction from them between 2007 and 2012, and to find the approximate loss to the state exchequer. The SIT’s letter to the IBM said the survey it requested is “necessary for the purpose of investigation”. Police said that during the investigation, it has come to light that 58 mining leases were operational between 2007 to 2012, and the SIT wants to know whether there was really extraction from those leases, or some manipulation. The SIT has completed a preliminary report of over 50% of the mining leases. In all, it is probing alleged violations in 126 mining leases. The report consists of verification of documents of mining leases, whom the leases were allotted to and who was operating them, and whether valid environment clearances were obtained. Based on this report, a final decision pertaining to the investigation will be taken by the SIT. The SIT had filed 16 first information reports (FIRs) in the illegal mining cases, of which eight have been chargesheeted, three have been closed, and three others transferred to the police stations concerned. Three other cases have been quashed by the court, a senior police officer said. Incidentally, not much progress has been made in the investigation, despite the SIT having probed the case for over six-and-a-half years now. On July 26, 2013, the mines department had filed a criminal complaint with the crime branch, seeking that criminal liability be fixed against those involved in the mining scam. It had also requested the police to file an FIR against the people identified in the reports of the Supreme Court-appointed central empowered committee, the Shah Commission, and the public accounts committee. In April 2021, the DGP had directed the SIT to “speed up and complete the investigation”. The directions came during a meeting with the crime branch superintendent of police and the police inspectors investigating cases related to illegal mining.

Goa: Conduct detailed survey of 58 leases, investigating team tells mines bureau
ED search on Goa biz group over ex-staffers bk A/C abroad
Times of India | 1 week ago
Times of India
1 week ago

Panaji: The enforcement directorate (ED) on Monday conducted a search at the headquarters of a reputed business group in Goa in connection with its former employee, who had opened an unauthorised bank account abroad. The search started in the morning and ended in the evening. ED sources said they did not find any connection of the group with the former employee. Sources said the group was unaware that the employee had opened an unauthorised bank account abroad and started around 12 companies when he was with them as general manager (exports). Sources said while investigating a case on persons with bank accounts abroad, they came upon this person's account and had come down to Goa to investigate it further. Sources said the employee worked for almost four years with the group before it exited from the mining business in 2009.

ED search on Goa biz group over ex-staffers bk A/C abroad
For quick mining restart, Goa to auction 88 leases
Times of India | 1 week ago
Times of India
1 week ago

Panaji: To restart mining activities in the state as early as possible, the state government is likely to first auction the 88 leases against which the government has initiated the process of takeover and the companies have been asked to vacate the leases within a month. A senior government officer said that opening new leases would take longer than restarting existing mines that were operational. “Houses and vegetation have come up in and around lease areas that have never been operated. Hence, it would be difficult to start mining immediately if these were to be put up for auctioning first, which is why the government has decided to go ahead with the auctioning of the 88 mining leases,” a senior government official familiar with the development said. The official said that during the auctioning process it will be made clear to bidders that they have to settle with the person who has the surface right of the lease. To ascertain the quantity of iron low in the existing leases, the directorate of mines and geology has decided to approach the Indian Bureau of Mines to get the existing companies to submit their mining plan. “If required, the state government will take up exploration to identify the quantity of iron ore in a particular mine,” a senior government official said. Earlier, the state government had tentatively finalised eight mining leases for auction in the Bicholim and Sattari talukas, but there has not been much progress on that front. Of these, five are at Bordem in Bicholim taluka and three in Sattari, including two in Pissurlem and one in Poriem. Last week, the state government initiated the process to take over 88 mining leases from lessees whose second renewal was quashed by the Supreme Court in February 2018. The directorate of mines and geology has issued notices to all the 88 mining companies to vacate the leases within a month. TOI was the first to report that 88 mining leases would be included in the auction list. On April 20, chief minister Pramod Sawant had held a meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah over the mining issue and a decision was taken to auction the 88 mining leases. In his budget speech, Sawant had said both would help mining dependants get employment and economic benefits once mining activities restarted. He had also said that a revenue of Rs 650 crore has been projected for the year 2022-23, once mining restarts.

For quick mining restart, Goa to auction 88 leases
State to take up safety steps in mining leases ahead of rains
Times of India | 1 week ago
Times of India
1 week ago

Panaji: Ahead of the coming monsoon, the state government has directed mining companies to take safety measures and other precautions within and outside their lease areas. “The state government will take up safety measures. It would be (by) a combination of various departments, and inspections have been done by the (mines) department on monsoon preparedness at leases,” said director of mines and geology, Vivek H P. “You (mining companies) are directed to take all necessary safety/precautionary measures in and around the mining leasehold areas so that life and property of the people residing in the proximity of the leasehold areas is protected. Further, the dumps which are in the leasehold areas and outside the leasehold areas shall also be inspected to know their stability,” Vivek H P said. After deciding to auction all mining leases, the state government on Thursday initiated the process to take over 88 mining leases from lessees whose second renewal was quashed by the Supreme Court in February 2018. The directorate had issued notices to all 88 mining companies to vacate the leases within a month. TOI was first to report that 88 mining leases would be included in the list of mining leases to be auctioned. On April 20, chief minister Pramod Sawant had held a meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah over the mining issue and a decision was taken to auction the 88 mining leases. “The government of Goa hereby directs all leaseholders/you whose leases/lease were quashed by the Supreme Court to comply with the provisions of rule 12 (1) (hh) of the Minerals (other than Atomic and Hydrocarbons Energy Minerals) Concessions Rules, 2016, within a period of one calendar month from May 6, 2022, to June 6, 2022, failing which further action will be initiated as deemed appropriate in terms of the MMDR Act and the rules made there under,” the director of mines had said in the notices to leaseholders.

State to take up safety steps in mining leases ahead of rains
If govt willing to resume mining now then why not in 2018: GMPF
Navhind Times | 2 weeks ago
Navhind Times
2 weeks ago

Govt has initiated process to take over 88 mining leasesPonda: Reacting to the government’s recent notice to the mining companies to vacate leases cancelled by the Supreme Court in 2018, the Goa Mining People’s Front (GMPF) president Puti Gaonkar has raised doubts over willingness of Pramod Sawant-led government on resuming mining in the state.“It seems like the government is willingly holding up mining operations in the state to serve vested interests and after four years of halt, the government is now rushing to resume mining which they could have done long back,” Gaonkar said at a press conference in Ponda on Friday.Gaonkar said that “after the 2018 Supreme Court order of cancelling the 88 mining leases in the state, no new order has been passed by the apex court as regards the state’s mining. Despite this, the state government has now started the process to resume mining in a rightful manner.”“This means, the government could have done it in 2018 itself, which the GMPF and the mining dependents have been demanding. However, by not doing so clearly indicates that the government did not have the willingness to resume mining. And the reason is only the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will be able to tell,” he added.Nevertheless, Gaonkar said that it is better late than never and welcomed the process initiated by the government to take over 88 mining leases.However, he warned about the litigations that may arise due interest of the mining companies as they are holders of the surface area of the mining land.The GMPF president urged the state government to auction the mining leases as early as possible and initiate the process of resuming mining so that dependents across the state will get some work in the next season.Gaonkar also highlighted the need for setting conditions that the companies which get the mining leases through auction will re-engage local machinery and workers who were part of it before the SC order of 2018. He said that if their demands are not met, they will not allow mining operations in the state despite the auction.

If govt willing to resume mining now then why not in 2018: GMPF
Govt clears the way for auction mode to resume iron ore mining
Navhind Times | 2 weeks ago
Navhind Times
2 weeks ago

Staff ReporterPanajiMaking a major move for taking possession of all iron ore leases in the state as a precursor for resuming mining operations through auction mode, the government issued a notice to holders of 88 leases, which were quashed by the Supreme Court vide order of February 7, 2018.The notice served to mining companies said that by the virtue of the SC order the 88 leases have expired, and the leaseholders “within a period of one calendar month, w.e.f. from May 6 to June 6, have to comply with provisions of Rule 12 (1) (hh) of the Minerals (other than Atomic and Hydrocarbons Energy Minerals) Concession Rules, 2016”.The notice meant that the companies will have to vacate the leases within a month.It said that failure to comply will result in further action by the government against the leaseholders under the MMDR Act.The notice is significant as it is the first clear signal from the government of ownership of all mines and that the Goan mining industry can restart only through the auctioning of leases.In the past, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who is also Mining Minister, had said the government would auction six-eight blocks through the newly-formed Goa Mineral Development Corporation.Sawant, however, had refrained from mentioning the auction of the 88 contested leases that contributed to production of iron ore before being cancelled by the top court.The 88 cancelled leases are operated by top mining companies such as Sesa Mining Corp (Vedanta Ltd), Chowgule & Co., V. M. Salgaoncar, Sociedade Timblo Irmaos Ltd, etc.Furthermore, the 88 leases are all working mines that operated at its full permitted capacity of 20 million tonne in 2016-17, and provided royalty of `310 crore to the state exchequer.Rule 12 of the Minerals Concession Rules allows a period of six months for lessees to remove the excavated material due to expiry or termination of the lease.The notice pointed out that as per the court order of 2018, followed by another order on October 13, 2020, the leaseholders were granted time until January 2021 to remove minerals excavated before March 15, 2018.The notice issued by the directorate of mines and geology (DMG) and signed by mines director Vivek H.P. said that more than six months have “elapsed after the expiry of leases”.For a long time, the government had been looking at a legislative and judicial cure to restart the iron ore mining industry.However, in July 2021, the Supreme Court rejected the government’s plea to review its 2018 verdict.Furthermore, a special leave petition by the mining companies seeking validity of the mining leases until 2037 was also turned down by the apex court.In August 2021, the government decided to go by the Centre’s advice of auction mandated under the MMDR Act.It passed the Goa Mineral Development Corporation Bill, 2021.

Govt clears the way for auction mode to resume iron ore mining
‘Har Har Mahadev, Lairai Mata Ki Jai’ to echo in Shirgao
Navhind Times | 2 weeks ago
Navhind Times
2 weeks ago

Staff ReporterSankhaliGoddess Lairai, the most popular among the Goan deities, unites communities from Goa and Konkan region. Come May 5, devotees will flock to the Shirgao village of Bicholim taluka for the annual celebration of Dhondachi jatra.Rajendra Kerkar, a folk researcher and historian told, “Goa has a rich and varied tradition of folk deities worshipped from parts of Pernem to Canacona. However, the worship of Goddess Lairai unites different communities who take part in the annual Dhondachi jatra. In Goa, since the pre-Portuguese period, there existed a tradition of the anthill worship among the people toiling hard in the soil. In Shirgao too, the anthill is worshipped as Santer as well as Lairai in two different temples.”Today, though the temple situated at Deulwada is the main centre of attraction for the devotees, the original temple of this folk deity is at Mudder immediately to the left side after crossing the Par river from Assonora. In the past, Mudder at the foothill of the lush green mountain too was covered with trees, creepers of the forestry nature. Before the onset of iron ore mining, this predominantly agriculture village was home to innumerable perennial streams and springs. During the Portuguese era, Shirgao was known for one of the largest iron ore mines in Asia. After Goa’s Liberation, haphazard mining activities resulted in destroying most of the water bodies of Shirgao and thereby causing irreparable harm to agriculture and horticulture.During the Dhondachi jatra, the devotees from various corners of Goa and Konkan in traditional attire holding entwined and decorated cane stick walk through the pyre in large strides, one followed by another.The devotees locally known as Dhond has strong belief that walking through the pyre would not be possible without divine help and protection.“In Goa and Konkan region, this is only annual fair in which devotees forgetting their differences based on caste, tribe, sex and economic status take part with utmost devotion,” says Vishnu Kerkar from Nanoda village who participates as Dhond since the last two decades.Though, the devotees participating as Dhond eat vegetarian diet for almost one month, five days before the fair they leave their houses, go into the areas mostly situated near the spring or river that are forested, and eat food cooked by them collectively.Various religious and cultural activities are organised through the contribution collected by devotees. Though, each village in Goa and Konkan has its presiding deity, Lairai as the folk deity has been venerated by most of all.In the temple of Lairai at Deulwada, the sanctum sanctuary contains a marble pedestal over which is erected a silver canopy containing a dazzling Kalash (pitcher) filled with the sacred water, dedicated to goddess Lairai. A considerable congregation of lakhs of people assembles for the jatra on Vaishakha shudhda Panchami to express their gratitude to the revered deity by offering a garland of jasmine buds.

‘Har Har Mahadev, Lairai Mata Ki Jai’ to echo in Shirgao
AITUC demands resumption of iron ore mining in state
Navhind Times | 2 weeks ago
Navhind Times
2 weeks ago

Trade Union seeks enhancement of minimum wages for workersPanaji: A May Day rally was held in Panaji opposite the Orta de Garcia garden on Sunday. The rally unanimously adopted and passed several resolutions. One of the resolutions passed was that the Government of Goa must immediately resume mining operations through the state owned Goa Minerals Development Corporation (GMDC).Addressing a large gathering, All India Trade Union Congress general secretary, Suhas Naik along with national secretary, Christopher Fonseca, state president Prasanna Utagi, deputy president, Raju Mangueshkar and others passed and adopted many resolutions on the occasion in the presence of veteran Union leader from Delhi and chief guest K.C. Bansal.“Iron ore mining activities must be started immediately through the state owned Goa Minerals Development Corporation and the retrenched /terminated workers families of mining stakeholders must be paid retention allowances and Rs 15,000 per month, per worker till the mining operations resume in Goa” they said.While blaming the state government for not constituting the Labour board in order to assist the workers and the management to make informed decisions to regulate management – labour relations in the state like state labour advisory board, state labour minimum wages board must be constituted, and added that statutory bodies which are presently in a state of limbo and are dysfunctional should be made functional.The leaders maintained that it is essential to enhance the minimum wages of workers in the state due to steep hike in essential commodities, food items, petrol, diesel, LPG cylinders, health, transport, education, water and electricity etc.They pointed out that the last revision of statutory minimum wages was done way back in March 2016 and since then there has been no revision in minimum wages.The minimum wages as comparable to other states are twice the wages than Goa, they said. Other states like Delhi, Kerala have revised minimum wages for its workers.The leaders said that they also met Labour Minister Atanasio Monserrate, who immediately ordered to promulgate the minimum wages in Goa which were not revised for the last 6 years, adding in the name of doing ease of business the corporate world is trying to snatch away the rights of workers.

AITUC demands resumption of iron ore mining in state
Sand mining: CoP, cops seize boats at Tiracol
Times of India | 3 weeks ago
Times of India
3 weeks ago

Panaji: The Captain of Ports (CoP) department seized close to 30 vessels that were found beached at Nhaybagh in the Tiracol river on suspicion that they were being used to illegally extract sand from the riverbed. This is the second raid conducted by the CoP department in conjunction with Goa police and comes just five days after the high court of Bombay at Goa pulled up the authorities for unabated sand mining. The boats have been impounded and handed over to the coastal police, and will be released only after the owners produce the registration and other documents. “Today also we got a call from the flying squad, but by the time we reached there for inspection we did not find any activity happening. We found 29 boats, which were already hauled up. We have handed the boats over to the police,” deputy captain of ports Premlal Sirsaiker said. “Let the owners come with the documents and registration, and if the documents are all proper, we will release them.” “We had boats in all the other rivers, but not at Tiracol. Now one boat has been deployed there and we have started patrolling for the last few days,” Sirsaikar said. “If we find boats in the water without documents, we will tow them.”

Sand mining: CoP, cops seize boats at Tiracol
In meeting with PM Narendra Modi, Goa CM Pramod Sawant seeks guidance on development
Times of India | 3 weeks ago
Times of India
3 weeks ago

Panaji: Chief minister Pramod Sawant met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday — his first meeting after becoming chief minister for the second time — and discussed various issues pertaining to the state. He also sought guidance from the Prime Minister regarding Goa’s development and talked about preparedness for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the ongoing national highway expansion project and the Mopa international airport, as well as progress made on Swayampurna Goa 2.0. Sawant will attend a conclave of chief ministers and chief justices of high courts in New Delhi on Saturday. Before he was sworn in as chief minister of Goa, Modi had assured him of full support from the Union government for Goa’s progress. Sawant had also recently met with home minister Amit Shah over mining issues, and it was decided that all the mining leases — including the 88 whose second renewal was quashed by the Supreme Court — would be auctioned.

In meeting with PM Narendra Modi, Goa CM Pramod Sawant seeks guidance on development
Tree census has started in 12 talukas, govt tells HC
Navhind Times | 3 weeks ago
Navhind Times
3 weeks ago

Staff ReporterPanajiThe state government has informed the High Court of Bombay at Goa that tree census has been started in 12 talukas and 130 teams are involved in the task.It may be noted that during an earlier hearing, the High Court had pulled up the government for failing to conduct a census of trees despite its directions.While submitting a compliance report before the High Court, the Goa government informed that a bank account for Tree Protection Fund has been made functional and all receipts as mentioned in Goa, Daman and Diu Preservation of Trees Act are being credited in the Tree Protection Fund with effect from financial year 2022-23.Allowing the petitioner to file a rejoinder on the compliance report, the High Court adjourned the hearing to June 8.Meanwhile, the High Court rejected a request of a mining company to allow loading of barges with 1.8 lakh tonnes of ore it had transported from Pissurlem and which is now dumped at Amona jetty of the company.The company filed an affidavit before the High Court informing that it had purchased 2.95 lakh tonnes of mineral ore from Pissurlem mine at an e-auction held on January 19, 2022, of which it had already transported 1.8 lakhtonnes.The court heard a petition filed by an NGO challenging the e-auction and sale of the 3 lakh tonnes of ore on the grounds that the mining lease had never been operated and that the lease had been illegally imported from other nearby leases to defeat environment and mining laws.A counsel for the petitioner told the court that the Director of Mines had sworn an affidavit claiming that a special investigation team (SIT) was investigating the gross illegalities of the lease holder.The Advocate General confirmed to the court that the 3 lakh tonnes of minerals on the lease was illegal, and that there was no mining pit on the lease from which these minerals could have been extracted. The court continued the stay granted already on the transport of balance minerals from the lease.The High Court directed the DMC to file an affidavit relating to the appearance of 3 lakh tonnes on the lease without any mining operations and posted the matter to June 8.

Tree census has started in 12 talukas, govt tells HC
Restart mining soon to tackle states rising debt: Industry
Times of India | 3 weeks ago
Times of India
3 weeks ago

Panaji: Even as the state economy showed a mere 1.6% growth in 2020-21, top industry bodies have raised concerns over the government’s rising debt. The Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association (GMOEA) and Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) have asked the state to make efforts to restart mining immediately. GMOEA secretary Glenn Kalavampara said that Goa’s consistently-rising debt over the past 10 years is “an alarming concern”. “Depending solely on loans and advances would over a period of time come to haunt the borrower, as interest element too augments,” he said. “Goa's main economic pillar, mining, continues to lie in suspension for several years, which causes not just economic concerns but also hardships to those dependent on it.” GCCI, too, said that a major chunk of mining-related businesses have not been able to switch over or diversify. “It isn’t east to get alternate business for existing mining assets in other states, as there are a lot of challenges posed by local people of those states,” said GCCI president Ralph de Sousa. “For assets like river barges, it’s more challenging, as operations are typical to the Goa logistical system. Also, overall, no alternative to the mining business has come up to replace the employment that has been lost due to the abrupt stoppage of mining four years ago.” GMOEA said that that ease of doing business has been affected. “Local industry as well as other apex chambers have repeatedly raised concerns and sought the desired solutions expected to be taken by the government. Keeping in mind sustainability, mining needs to resume at the earliest,” Kalavampara said. De Sousa said that since there is some hope that mining is going to start soon, disposing debts-ridden asset gets tricky. “The financial situation worsens with every passing day with the Goa mining ban continuing with no firm solution but the hope of a major decision by the government to restart mining,” he said. GCCI said that the state’s businesspersons are witnessing worsening CIBIL rating, and at the same time, financial institutions are facing rising NPAs. “The immediate resumption of the Goa mining industry can provide relief to the stressed situation in the state,” de Sousa said. For assets like barges, it’s more challenging, as operations are typical to the Goa logistical system. Also, overall, no alternative to the mining business has come up to replace the employment that has been lost due to its abrupt stoppage

Restart mining soon to tackle states rising debt: Industry
Govt draws HC flak over failure to stop illegal sand extraction
Navhind Times | 3 weeks ago
Navhind Times
3 weeks ago

The court seeks a detailed affidavit, puts off hearing to May 2Panaji: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has slammed the government authorities for failing to stop illegal sand extraction. It has adjourned hearing in the illegal sand mining matter to May 2.The High Court has asked the state government to file a detailed affidavit as to why the illegal extraction has not been stopped.It may be noted that the High Court had passed comprehensive directions to the government for keeping a check on illegal sand mining.The court has asked the Chief Secretary and Director General to file a detailed affidavit explaining why illegal sand extraction is not stopped. It had also asked the Pernem PI and Pernem Mamlatdar to file affidavits on the issue of illegal sand extraction from river Terekhol on April 10 and 18.The High Court observed, “At least, prima facie, we think that this is a serious matter, because, instances are on the rise to defy not only Court orders but to unauthorizedly extract sand thereby causing environmental degradation. From the rise in such instances, we get an impression, which we sincerely hope is a wrong impression, that the authorities are not seriously interested in controlling this activity of unauthorised sand extraction. There is virtually a game of hide and seek going on and the impression that we get is that the authorities are not doing sufficient to prevent this activity. Besides, we also wonder how 50 to 60 canoes can be involved in such an activity, and yet, the police authorities and the Mamlatdar, claim virtual ignorance of what is happening atthese sites.”The High Court also said, “Therefore, we direct the police in-charge of the Pernem police station and the Mamlatdar to file a detailed affidavit about the above incidents and how such incidents could take place, if at all they have taken place.”In an earlier hearing, the police, in its affidavit filed before the High Court in a case related to illegal sand mining, had stated that the order passed by the High Court is duly complied with in letter and spirit by the police department by taking various measures to stop illegal sand mining.

Govt draws HC flak over failure to stop illegal sand extraction
Mormugao port to explore liquefied gas handling
Times of India | 3 weeks ago
Times of India
3 weeks ago

Panaji: Continuing to explore new avenues of growth, Mormugao Ports Authority (MPA) is toying with the idea of setting up a liquefied natural gas (LNG) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) bunker station on 20,500sqm of land in the vicinity of the Goa International Airport, Dabolim. MPA has not finalised the plans and “is merely exploring the possibility and feasibility of such project” sources said. Port officials said that they are trying to supply the LPG or LNG to industries if possible. “Mormugao Port intends to establish a port-based LNG or LPG bunkering station at Dabolim on a plot owned by the port. We hope that this will create integrated infrastructure facilities and strengthen the traffic through the port,” said an official. MPA will not operate the bunkering station and is exploring the public private partnership (PPP) route. The port will decide on the infrastructure, cost and operations at a later stage. As per MPA’s plans, ships will bring in the LPG or LNG and the gas will be transported by road to Dabolim and subsequently sold to institutional buyers, industries and retail buyers. MPA is one of the country’s major ports but has been struggling for the past decade due to the closure of mining and lack of industrial output. The port is incurring steady losses with officials saying that in order to turn profitable, the port needs to handle between 24-25 million metric tonne cargo annually. In the last financial year the port was just about able to handle 18 million metric tonnes of cargo. With iron ore mining stopped, the port has turned to other cargo particularly sugar exports to try and stay afloat. The port has not floated a tender for the gas project as yet but it may pursue the auction route if the response from the private sector is encouraging, said a source. “The plot is outside custom bonded area and it will be most likely offered on a 30-year lease, said an official.

Mormugao port to explore liquefied gas handling
Counting Crows… and Tigers
Navhind Times | 3 weeks ago
Navhind Times
3 weeks ago

Luis Dias‘Counting Crows’ has been on my mind for many interconnected reasons.I’m sure most of you have grown up with Akbar and Birbal stories. Let me refresh your memory on one that deals with ‘counting crows’. The gist of it is that envious courtiers complain to Emperor Akbar that he overrates Birbal’s intelligence and wit. So Akbar sets a task for them all: to conduct a ‘census’ of all the crows in his capital, on pain of severe punishment if a wrong answer is given. It stumps everyone, except Birbal of course, who confidently rattles off an arbitrary number.Birbal’s brazenness irritates even the emperor. What if the number is an underestimate? Then, Birbal airily replies that it only means that some crows have gone to visit relatives and friends elsewhere. Likewise, an overestimate can be explained by incoming visits from crow relatives and friends. Birbal triumphs again.Our modern-day courtier, Goa’s Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane has outdone even the great Birbal in his ‘xanneponn’. To rule out the possibility of setting up a tiger reserve in Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary (the National Tiger Conservation Authority actually asked the state government for a proposal to set one up here), he confidently declares that any tiger found on Goan soil is not a Goan, not even visiting friends or relatives, but just a ‘non-resident’, a tourist, come in to take in the wonderful sights, sounds and smells of ‘amche Goem’. The tigers are just ‘passing through’, migrants on some sort of self-imposed short-term transit visa, if one takes his view.How did Mr Rane arrive at his bizarre conclusion? He says there is ‘no proof’ that tigers are resident in Goa, but he’s unable to categorically state what proof he’s looking for. Tigers don’t exactly erect bungalows and get Forms I/XIV, ration cards or Aadhar cards to flash at forest guards or camera traps, to furnish ‘proof’ of residency or domicile. They’re territorial creatures with territories that don’t respect human state boundaries. It’s quite a simple concept, really. The size of the home range of Panthera tigris depends on its gender, prey abundance and geographic area and can therefore vary between 50 to 1000 square kilometres, even up to 4000 square kilometres in some parts of the world such as Manchuria.But what happened to our famed Goan hospitality? Even if one buys Rane’s weird logic, and assumes that the tiger is some sort of ‘musafir’, shouldn’t one try to make its stay or passage as comfortable as possible? If Goa can be so welcoming to human tourists, why not to our national animal? Shouldn’t pug-falls matter just as much as footfalls?Apparently not, when competing interests such as mining (and all the ‘moolah’ it represents) are at stake, in fact the very antithesis of everything the tiger stands for.Reacting to well-deserved criticism and ridicule that quickly went viral, Rane later said he had been ‘misunderstood’, that Goa was “too small for a tiger reserve” and that he didn’t need advice from NGOs or environmentalists, but would instead take it from “retired IFS officers and the forest research institute, Dehradun”. It’s unclear why Dehradun should be the sole source of such advice.In ‘Tigers and Water Security of India: The Crucial Link’ (2017), Dr Subhadeep Sarkar (assistant professor, Department of Zoology, Serampore College) and Dr Suman Dutta (assistant professor, Department of Botany, Serampore College) soberly conclude: “India’s tiger forests are crucial for the water security of our country. Once any of them is degraded or lost, the country marches one step forward towards destroying its water sovereignty and security that it has enjoyed for thousands of years. So long as the tiger lives, the forests remain protected and under sharp focus of the scientific community as well as commoners. And with it remain protected myriads of streams, wetlands and rivers that form the web of water security around us, one of the most highly valued treasures of mankind.”Some bedtime reading for our newly-appointed forest minister, even if its source isn’t Dehradun. One would think that in view of Goa’s ever-deteriorating water security (ironically caused and aggravated by mining in the first place), it would be another very compelling reason for a tiger reserve. Our own survival is inextricably intertwined with that of the tiger. In fact, even if Mr Rane is right that there are no ‘resident’ tigers in Goa, it is his duty as forest minister to lay the welcome mat for them and invite them in, for the reasons just mentioned.One of the tracks I do know from the American rock band ‘Counting Crows’ is ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ (originally written, composed, and recorded by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell), whose lyrics repeatedly emphasise this message: “Don’t it always seem to go/ That you don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone/ They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”Our Goan ‘paradise’, be it forests, wetlands, fields, water bodies, hills, in fact any form of Mother Nature is under threat of much more than a parking lot. One can only feel trepidation at the news that, having laid waste to our coastal belt ‘paradise’ in the guise of ‘development’, the greedy focus is now further inland, into the hinterland.Goa is deemed “too small” for a tiger reserve, but not for a coal hub, double-tracking, four and six-lane highways, or a white elephant of another airport. Goa’s never “too small” to be destroyed.Incidentally, in case you’re wondering, ‘Counting Crows’ got its unusual name from ‘One for Sorrow’, a British divination nursery rhyme about the superstitious counting of magpies, which are members of the crow family. There are many versions of the rhyme, but the earliest one reads: “One for sorrow, Two for mirth/ Three for a funeral, Four for birth/ Five for heaven, Six for hell/ Seven for the devil, his own self.”Our house attracts a much higher number than seven, but since the collective noun for crows is a ‘murder’, that isn’t so comforting.Coming back to counting tigers: While the latest Tiger Census Report (2019) has reported a heartening increase in overall numbers, it nevertheless emphasises the continuing need for tiger conservation, (whether ‘non-resident’ or not): “More than 80 per cent of the world’s wild tigers are in India, and it’s crucial to keep track of their numbers. Tigers are at the top of the food chain and are sometimes referred to as “umbrella species”, that is their conservation also conserves many other species in the same area. The tiger estimation exercise that includes habitat assessment and prey estimation reflects the success or failure of tiger conservation efforts.”As I write this, the local press has reported that Valpoi forest-dwellers allegedly admitted that “tigers are not ‘non-resident’”, (so as the negatives cancel each other out, tigers are resident), but the people want their land ownership rights respected. It circles back to the fragile ecological balance between us and non-human ‘dwellers’ on our tiny planet.The fact that so many Goan place-names have ‘vagh’ incorporated into them is evidence of the timeless presence of the tiger as ‘Goenkar’, ‘Bhumiputra’, ‘resident’. This cannot be erased by verbalsleight-of-hand.

Counting Crows… and Tigers

Read About


GOA WEATHERGOA WEATHER