Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: In a major relief to the Pissurlem villagers, the Bombay High Court at Goa has stayed ore transportation in the village.
While granting ad-interim relief to the petitioner Goa Foundation, the Court has sought details from the government on the e-auction method adopted for ore at TC No 95/52.
High Court has granted one week time to govt to submit their reply on how e-auction was held without ascertaining the grade of ore.
The hearing has been adjourned till April 20.
GF has also challenged the State cabinet decision to allow extraction and transportation of iron ore from dumps before the High Court of Bombay at Goa. The matter is listed for hearing on April 7.
Alvares said that the case of illegal transport from Pissurlem, where the villagers are protesting, is, without doubt, a major scandal.
Goa Foundation (GF) also accused the Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) of the illegal conduct of e-auction of ore lying in dumps by categorizing them as stacks.
The NGO also alleged that ore transportation is not permitted from mining leases that were never put in operation or from which no extraction occurred.
The Goa Foundation has accused the Directorate of Mines & Geology of continuing to patronize and support open theft and illegal transportation of mineral ores at the expense of the state exchequer while demanding a CBI probe in the matter. “The case of illegal transport from Pissurlem is, without doubt, a major scandal and needs an SIT or CBI investigation,” it said.
The green NGO alleged that a dump of 3,00,000 MT has been re-auctioned for Rs 10 crore when its market value is Rs.90 crore”. Goa Foundation has written to the Chief Secretary demanding an investigation into the decisions of the DMG to allow mining from dumps at Pissurlem and Mayem. Hanuman Porob, a social activist and several innocent villagers, were harassed and then arrested and assaulted by police when they questioned the illegal transport, Goa Foundation said.