Goa to implement IT systems to prevent illegal mining

Plagued with rampant illegal mining, the Goa Government has decided to implement an information technology-based system to prevent its valuable resource being exported illegally and evading royalty.

The draft mining policy, tabled on the floor of the House during the recently concluded State Assembly session, has assured a ‘Mines Management System’ in place, which has been made to arrest illegal iron ore exports.

The Goa Mines and Geology department has decided to implement this Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) based system, keeping in view the scale of operations involved in mining of iron ore and its exports.

Under the new policy, the existing system of administration and regulating mining in the State would be replaced by the ICP-based ‘Mines Management System’

The system is expected to track iron ore consignments from its source — the mining lease or stockyard — to the destination which can be either ports, stockyards or domestic consumers, including steel or sponge iron plants.

It will also monitor delivery of each consignment or iron ore at the destination through a mechanism of acknowledgement through electronic information exchange between origin and destination, the Mines and Geology Department said.

The system will ensure that the end-user, which is the exporter or steel plant, is aware about the source of the iron ore and the genuineness of the permits by creation of a central database that is updated in real time, online and available to other controlling departments including forests, customs, police, revenue and ports, the department said.

The Centre had earlier authorised the Justice M. B. Shah Commission to probe illegal mining in the State, which pointed out several irregularities in the trade.

The State Government has also admitted illegalities, which are expected to be checked after implementation of the recommendations in the draft policy.

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