Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday said the state government will restart mining operations within six to eight weeks, once Supreme Court vacates or modifies its order halting the extraction and transportation of the ore.
Parrikar told the state Legislative Assembly that the existing halt in mining activity was due to three reasons, including the apex court`s order halting the extraction and transportation of ore, pending report from the Central Empowered Committee (CEC).
The Chief Minister said on the floor of the House that in October last year, the Supreme Court had issued ad interim order without issuing any notice to the state government.
"If SC vacates or modifies its order, we will start the legal mining within six to eight weeks," Parrikar said.
The Union Ministry of Environment and Forest had suspended the Environment Clearances (EC) to find out the possibility of illegalities committed during the issuance of ECs for the mines, he said.
Parrikar alleged that Union Minister of Environment and Forest Jayanthi Natarajan, through the notices issued to the mine owners, had admitted that there was misdoing while giving the ECs.
The halting of mining activity in Goa since September last year has left around three lakh people without livelihood.
PTI
