The Hindu : National : ‘Lease clearance mechanism weak in Goa’

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Wednesday, Jan 30, 2008
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‘Lease clearance mechanism weak in Goa’

Special Correspondent

Panaji: “In Goa, private miners are making windfall profits, but the government and the people are seeing none of it,” Centre for Science and Environment Director Sunita Narain has said.

Ms. Narain was speaking to presspersons ahead of the release of the CSE report on mining, people and environment here on Monday.

In a chapter on ‘Goa - Mining in Goa: Rich land, poor mining and huge costs,’ the report reviews the booming mining industry where the demand from China in particular is sending prices and profits sky high.

The price of iron ore increased from $17 a tonne in 2000-01 to as much as $55 a tonne in 2005-06, even touching $83 in 2004. The demand is pushing companies to open new mines and even reopen closed mines.

Contrasting this with what it terms a weak clearance and compliance mechanism adopted by authorities in clearing mining leases, the report says it is no wonder that people in Goa are protesting against the mines that threaten their survival.

Goa, the report notes, is also the only State where the High Court has directed the companies to compensate the losses incurred by farmers because mine rejects have silted up their fields and damaged their water courses. The report says that in 2003-04, the sector’s turnover in Goa was Rs.830 crore, but the royalty that the State received was as little as Rs.17 crore.

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