CS to head panel for regulating mining activities in State

Herald Reporter
Panjim, Jan 16

The government has constituted a co-ordination-cum-empowered committee under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary for the purpose of regulating the mining activities in the State.

The other members of the committee are - Secretary Mines (Convenor), Chief Conservator of Forest; Chief Engineer; Collector, North Goa District, Collector, South Goa; Superintendent of Police, (South Goa); Regional Controller of Mines (Indian Bureau of Mines); Member Secretary (Goa State Pollution Control Board) and Director Mines and Geology (Secretary).

According to a government notification, issued by Rajiv Yadhuvanshi, Secretary (Mines), the Committee will effect co-ordination with Revenue Department for managing the land for purpose of mineral concessions.

It will ensure that the clearances/ NOCs/ Approvals are given by Forest, Environment and other Departments are streamlined way.

The committee is also empowered to monitor process of approval of mineral concessions and compliance with concession conditions.

It will ensure building up of a computerized database, effectively integrated with other State Level databases and issue directions for setting up joint teams for setting up joint teams of officials for conducting inspections in specified areas in which illegal mining is suspected and to ensure effective cessation of illegal mining.

It will also activate State Enforcement Machinery for checking illegal mining in non-grant areas and strengthen the revenue intelligence relating to commercial taxes, transport, mining royalty etc.

The committee will conduct verification of mineral trading and storage plots as well as mining boundaries.

It will develop mechanism for integrated monitoring of information on movement of trucks/vehicles/barges from mining areas/loading points to ports and correlating the same with the same with the production data in order to capture any spurt in mining activity.

The committee will also check compulsory registration of all the end users and issue of directives to the end user to mandatorily check the payment of royalty before purchase/ export of ore with penalties for violations, says notification adding, the committee shall co-opt any other member as deemed fit.

Herald, January 17, 2010, Panaji