The Goa Foundation
G-8 St Britto's Apartments,
Feira Alta, Mapusa 403 507 Goa
7th December 2007
Phones: 0832-2263305; 2256479; 9326115907; 2278740
www.goacom.org/goafoundation/
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
URGENT PRESS MATTER
SUPREME COURT TODAY STAYS 18 TEMPORARY WORKING PERMITS ISSUED BY MINISTRY OF
ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS FOR GOA MINES. ISSUES NOTICE TO MINISTRY TO EXPLAIN
HOW THESE PERMITS WERE GRANTED
SUPREME COURT DECLINES TO ACT ON MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT ORDER REJECTING
ENVIRONMENT CLEARANCE FOR SEVEN GOA MINES
TWENTY FIVE MINES TO CLOSE AS A RESULT OF BOTH ACTIONS
FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION CONTACT: CLAUDE ALVARES/GOA
FOUNDATION/9326115907
Details:
First story:
The forest clearances of 18 mining leases came to an end on 21.11.2007.
Supreme Court had passed an order dated 27.4.2007 that in future all Forest
Clearances issued by the ministry would be sent to it for its approval after
a report in their behalf by the Central Empowered Committee.
The powerful mining lobby of Goa however was able to prevail upon the
Ministry to bypass this procedure for reasons best known to it. On the same
day the earlier clearances came to an end, the MoEF issued fresh temporary
working permits for one year's duration "on pragmatic considerations". These
permits were issued bypassing the CEC and the apex court.
On 27th November, Goa Foundation filed an application under RTI for
information on the permits issued. The application was entertained on 4th
December and copies of the permits issued to the Foundation. The Foundation
immediately filed a complaint with the CEC asking for urgent intervention
the same day.
The CEC acted promptly. By this morning it had filed a detailed report on
the leases in question and sought orders from the apex court for the
following:
a) Stay of the 18 TWPs issued on 21.11.2007
b) Direction to the CS, Goa, to ensure that no mining would be allowed to
be carried on in the mines in question
c) Call for the relevant papers to decide whether contempt proceedings
should not be initiated against the officials in the Ministry.
The Supreme Court responded by staying the 19 TWPs and directing the
Government to file a reply explaining how the permits had been issued in
contravention of its order dated 17.4.2007.
As a result of the stay, all operations in the 18 mines will cease since
forest clearance is unavailable.
LIST OF TEMPORARY WORKING PERMISSIONS FOR MINING LEASES RECEIVED FROM THE
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA FOR GOA MINES AND
NOW STAYED BY ORDER DATED 7.12.2007 OF THE APEX COURT ON APPLICATION BY THE
CEC
Sr. T.C. Lease holder GOI approval Date
No.
1 83/52 V.M. Salgaoncar 8-492/1989-FC 21.11.2007
& Bros. Pvt.Ltd
2 29/54 V.M. Salgaoncar 8-491/1989-FC 21.11.2007
& Bros. Pvt.Ltd
3 50/53 V.M. Salgaoncar 8-80/2002-FC 21.11.2007
& Bros. Pvt.Ltd
4 13/55 V.M. Salgaoncar 8-76/2002-FC 21.11.2007
& Bros. Pvt.Ltd
5 10/51 Haider Kassim Khan 8-78/2002-FC 21.11.2007
6 21/54 V.S. Dempo 8-490-1989-FC 21.11.2007
& Co. Ltd.
7 35/52 V.S. Dempo 8-538/1989-FC 21.11.2007
& Co. Ltd.
8 03/51 V.S. Dempo 8-545/1989-FC 21.11.2007
& Co. Ltd.
9 40/54 V.S. Dempo 8-545/1989-FC 21.11.2007
& Co. Ltd.
10 63/51 Rajesh Timblo 8-68/2002-FC 21.11.2007
11 14/52 Badrudin Mavany 8-69/2002-FC 21.11.2007
12 45/54 Sova 8-79/2002-FC 21.11.2007
13 12/51 M.S. Talaulicar 8-14/1993-FC 21.11.2007
& Bros
14 38/52 Hiru Bambo Gauns 8-42/1996-FC 21.11.2007
15 88/52 Sociedade Timblo 8-20/1995-FC 21.11.2007
Irmaos
16 23/53 Emco Goa Ltd 8-18/1995-FC 21.11.2007
17 08/41 G N Agarwal 8-74/2002-FC 21.11.2007
18 67/52 A.V.S. Velingkar 8-142/1997-FC 21.11.2007
Second story:
Ministry of Environment and Forests, for the first time, rejected
environment clearance for seven Goa mines on 27.11.2007. The leases were
rejected environment clearance on the ground that they were within one km of
the buffer zone of Goa's wildlife sanctuaries.
This is a major issue in the on-going petition filed by the Goa Foundation
in the apex court (No.460/2005) where the Court has directed all state
governments to file plans demarcating the ecologically sensitive areas from
the wildlife sanctuaries in their states.
The seven mines are owned by:
1) Dr Prafulla Hede (Collem)
2) Chougule & Co
3) A.S. Velingkar
4) V.S. Dempo
5) V.M. Salgaoncar & Bros.
All the mine owners moved the Supreme Court via applications which came up
for hearing on 6th December, 2007. The Supreme Court refused to entertain
the applications and posted them for hearing in January after vacations
after counsel for the Foundation Raj Panjwani objected.
Mines without environment clearance have to cease operations pursuant to an
order issued by the Supreme Court in WP.460/2005 (Goa Foundation v/s UOI).
Issued by Dr Claude Alvares, Director, Goa Foundation
7.12.2007 7.00 pm
