NT NETWORK
PANAJI/VASCO
Mining firm Vedanta on Tuesday filed a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court seeking relief from the order passed by the High Court of Bombay at Goa stopping transportation of royalty-paid ore.
The SLP is due for hearing on April 4.
On March 29, the High Court had rejected a review petition filed by mining firms asking to modify its order passed a day before. The High Court turned down the plea to amend its order and gave April 11 as the date for the next hearing on the issue.
The High Court on March 28 had ordered the stoppage of all transportation of ore and issued a notice to the government for permitting the same, following a contempt petition filed by a non-governmental organisation (NGO).
The transportation is of royalty-paid ore kept by leaseholders in stockyards
before the mining activities were shut down on March 16 following a Supreme Court order.
Three mining firms, Vedanta, Fomento Resources, VM Salgaoncar and the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) had filed the review petition, which was turned down.
Transportation of royalty-paid ore was permitted by the government from March 21 but it lasted barely a week because of the contempt petition in the High Court.
There are significant stocks of royalty-paid ore lying in stockyards and mining firms have already contracted the consignment for exports. Several barges laden with ore are on river and barge owners are threatening to jettison the ore into the river. A huge cost of demurrage is being built up because of the delay in transport.
Meanwhile, the state government has decided to urge the Supreme Court to allow the transportation of extracted ore on which royalty has been paid by the leaseholders.
The three-member Cabinet Advisory Committee (CAC), which met on Tuesday at the Secretariat, discussed the matter related to the special leave petition filed by Vedanta company in the apex court against the order of the High Court of Bombay at Goa stopping transportation of ore, which has already been extracted and royalty paid by the leaseholders.
The CAC has given the approval to appoint Additional Solicitor General Atmaram Nadkarni to represent the state in the apex court on the special leave petition filed by Vedanta.
After the CAC meeting, Law Minister Francis D’Souza said the state government will urge before the Supreme Court to allow transportation of the extracted ore.
Another member of the CAC and Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai said that the matter is likely to come up for hearing in the apex court on Wednesday. Thus, the CAC has taken a decision to appoint Nadkarni to represent the state in the matter.
“Nadkarni is also on record saying that transportation of the extracted ore on which royalty has been paid by the leaseholders can be allowed. Since he is aware about the matter, the CAC has given its nod to appoint him to represent the state in the apex court,” Sardesai said.
Meanwhile, the Goa Barge Owners Association (GBOA) has decided to file a petition in the High Court of Bombay at Goa so as to provide relief to the barge owners whose barges are laden with ore.
Speaking to this daily, GBOA president Raymond DeSa said that around 60 barges are presently on the river off Mormugao port loaded with iron ore consignments of which 35 barges belong to GBOA members.