Mining operations in all the 90 mines in Goa were today ordered to be halted by the Supreme Court on the basis of the Justice M.B. Shah Commission report which estimated a Rs 35,000-crore loss to the exchequer due to illegal mining in the last 12 years.
Mining companies have also been restrained from exporting and selling ores which have already been extracted.
A three-judge Bench headed by Justice Aftab Alam took note of the Commission’s report and issued notice to the Centre and State government.
The Bench also asked the apex court—appointed Central Empowered Committee to submit its report on the illegal mining in the State within four weeks.
The Bench passed the order on a PIL filed by an NGO, Goa Foundation, seeking probe in the illegal mining activities in the state.
The State Government had on September 10 temporarily suspended all mining operations till October, but the petitioner alleged that suspension did not affect the trade as the private companies are transporting the ores from mines.
The court is already seized of the illegal mining cases in Karnataka where, after halting all mining activities for more than year, it had on September 3 allowed operations in only 18 mines out of more than 100 mines where the irregularities were minimum.
Comments:
India should develop a corps of reserve managers who can quickly takeover and run various types of essential industrial projects. Since Indian government invests people’s money via the national banks, guarantees, loans, and preferred licenses, occasions might arise when the private owners fail to run the business and it becomes imperative for some other group to quickly take over on a temporary or interim basis. A cadre of senior and midlevel staffs have to be trained in the legal, financial, and technical matters of various industries. Such an initiative will ensure the supply of essential minerals, power supply, transportation infrastructure, or other products and services. It will help the jobs situation and move the economy. Of course, where the project is hit by environmental considerations, the interim management may run the operations while addressing such issues.
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