SC panel wants leases scrapped
The Central Empowered Committee told the SC on Friday that mining companies in Goa have violated rules and regulation in their operations and extraction of ores and it should not be permitted till environment impact assessment is done.
In its report, the apex court-appointed committee, recommended that resumption of mining operations, halted by the apex court on October 5, may be not be permitted till the state government notifies rule to regulate storage, transportation and shipment of mineral ore. “The environmental clearances granted by the ministry of environment & forests, for the 19 mining leases located within the wildlife sanctuaries and for another 23 mining leases located within a distance of upto 1 km from the boundaries of nearby national parks / sanctuaries being in violation of this Court’s orders dated. The mining operations in such mining leases may be prohibited,” the report said. The report was placed before a bench headed by Justice Aftab Alam which would consider its findings and recommendation in the next date of hearing. Taking note of the Justice M.B. Shah commission report which estimated a whopping `35,000 crore loss to the exchequer due to illegal mining in the last 12 years, the bench had halted mining operations in all the 90 mines in Goa.
It had also asked the CEC to submit its report on the illegal mining in the state within four weeks.
***
‘Bengal suitable for investment’
TANYA BAGCHI
Kolkata, Dec. 7
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee urged top global leaders, executives of multi-national companies and NRI entrepreneurs to invest in West Bengal. “There may be some political problems in the state but this is inevitable in a democratic country. But I can assure you that Bengal is very peaceful now,” she added. She was delivering the keynote address at the PanIIT Alumni Global Conference 2012 which began in the city on Friday. This is the first time that the global convention is being held in Kolkata. PanIIT is held every year alternatively in the US and India. The last one was held in New York.
Post new comment