Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: The Center’s refusal to lift or modify its 2014 order prohibiting the transportation of ore through villages and habitations has dealt a serious blow to the State government’s plans to restart iron ore mining.
After the Bombay High Court in Goa prohibited ore transportation activities through Mayem village, citing the aforementioned Office Memorandum, the State government approached the Union Ministry for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to request the withdrawal of the memo or a relaxation of the Goa laws. The memo was issued in October 2014.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had expressed his concern to the Union minister in a letter about the miners’ inability to move the ore through the village because all of the e-auctioned mines are situated on its outskirts.
Sawant had brought up the issue when he met with Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav in New Delhi.
Sources, however, stated that the Minister declined to retract the Office Memorandum or offer a reprieve at this time. “The Office Memorandum applies to all mining states, not just Goa.
According to sources, the Ministry made it plain that the Office Memorandum could not be withdrawn because there are ongoing court cases concerning it in numerous states.
According to the Ministry, the State may petition the Supreme Court to overturn the HC ruling.
“The transportation of minerals by roads passing through villages shall not be allowed,” states the Center’s Office Memorandum from 2014. A “bypass” road for the transportation of minerals ought to be built, with a minimum 200-meter gap.
According to the Office Memorandum, this action is necessary to “mitigate the impact of sound, dust, and accidents.” According to the Office Memorandum, the project proponent will be responsible for any necessary widening and strengthening of the public road network.
