Land alloted for National Games, Portuguese Commonwealth Games used for illegal mining

Several trucks and machinery were confiscated at the land acquired by Goa government to set up a sports city here for National Games 2014, busting an illegal mining racket on government land, police said. Goa police raided the illegal laterite stone mining activity on the land Monday evening after a complaint by the locals.

PANJIM: The land acquired by state government for sports city in Pernem, which has been kept idle since 2009, has become a target of rogues indulging in the illegal mining activity.

The farmlands in Goa, which stand devastated due to the run-off from reckless mining activity, are likely to get special attention in the State Mining Policy, which is on the anvil.

PANJIM: The leases of 89 operational mines, working on deemed leases would be renewed by end of May with State Government in process of imposing revised rates of Stamp Duty.

A stamp duty of Rs 1 lakh per hectare is likely to be imposed on the mines for renewal. As per the Mines and Minerals Regulation Development (MMRD) Act, which is under amendment, States have the power to increase stamp duty on mining leases if the royalty payments exceed the levels assumed at the time of the lease.

Sesa Goa, a Vedanta Group company, already seeing erosion in profits due to a mining ban in Karnataka, is facing fresh trouble in Goa, with a stop-mining order on a petition from locals.

A sub-divisional magistrate (Bicholim) has directed immediate stopping of work at its Phase-III mines in Advalpal village (north Goa). Phase-I and -II mining operations in the area were stopped earlier. Sesa Goa sources 15 mt of ore from Goa annually. From Phase-III, it gets 200,000 tonnes of ore.

PANJIM: The major issues faced by farming community due to run offs from the mining rejects are likely to be taken care of in the State Mining Policy, which will take shape by May end.

Highly-placed sources stated that the State government is yet to take a call on whether to go ahead with the draft mining policy formed in 2008 or draft a new policy. The newly-inducted state government has given a commitment to get the policy in place by May end.

PANJIM: Goa Civic and Consumer Action Network has written to various authorities calling for a permanent solution to the disposal and burning of medical and plastic waste in an unused quarry close to the Goa Medical College and Hospital in Bambolim which lies close to the National Highway.

The garbage in the quarry has been the cause of fire and smoke which continues to be a routine affair, even as hospital authorities have been caught off guard over finding a long-term solution to the problem.

CURCHOREM: Mineral Foundation of Goa (MFG) chief executive officer S Sridhar said MFG will adopt revival approach to irrigation and agriculture in the mining belt of Goa in near future.

Addressing a press conference at Curchorem on Wednesday, Sridhar said 77 projects amounting to Rs 3.70 crore have been approved for south Goa and north Goa during the last financial year, of which 32 projects were implemented in 2011-12 at a cost of about Rs 1.5 crore under Nirman Project.

Govt issues orders to keep illegal mining of ore in check

The Mines and Geology Department , Goa has issued orders to the mining firms in the state to provide details of their daily operations, thereby making it easy for the government to keep a tab on the exports. The newly-appointed director of the Mines and Geology Department, Prasanna Acharya asked the mining lease holders to submit daily reports regarding transportation of iron ore from the mining sites.

After his memorable victory, newly-elected MMC Chairperson Arthur D’Silva said he would accord top most priority to streamline the city traffic and set up multi storey parking facility with the help of the government.

He told newsmen after assuming office, that he would take along with him the people of Margao and Fatorda to usher in the development of the city. “We have come together for the development of the city. Monsoons are fast approaching and we have to start working from today on this front”, he said.