PANAJI: Chief minister
Manohar Parrikar said here on Wednesday that he would seek legal advice on the order and there was no need to panic as there was more than a month's time for closure.
"I will seek legal advice and come out with a written statement in two days. There are many factors involved... More than a month's time is available. I have only glanced through the judgment and have not read it thoroughly," he told reporters.
Parrikar said as the judgment does not come into immediate effect—the
Supreme Court has given the
mining companies time till March 15 to wind up their operations—there was no need to panic.
"How can I speak about its implications? Being the chief minister, I cannot comment casually," he said.
Parrikar also said the Supreme Court should have taken a decision on the 1987 abolition of concession case pending with it before passing judgment on the renewal of leases.
"Many of you may not be aware of the 1987 case. The chaos has been created by that case. The Supreme Court should have decided on that case first, as that is an older case," Parrikar said.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said the state government was obliged to grant fresh mining leases in accordance with law, in view of its previous judgment, and not second renewals to mining leaseholders, as the Goa government has done. A bench of justices Madan B Lokur and
Deepak Gupta on Wednesday was hearing a plea filed by an NGO, Goa Foundation.
In October 2012, the Supreme Court suspended all
iron ore mining and transportation in Goa, based on a report submitted by the justice M B Shah Commission, which found that thousands of crores worth of iron ore was mined illegally in Goa. In 2015, the state government renewed 88 mining leases.
Parrikar said as the judgment does not come into immediate effect—the Supreme Court has given the mining compa... Read More
