Govt assures a new CZMP with people’s views
Plan to be drafted by Environment Department in consultation with CZMA, GSPCB, scientists PORVORIM: In a major victory to the people, the State government on Tuesday announced it woud draft a fresh
Plan to be drafted by Environment Department in consultation with CZMA, GSPCB, scientists PORVORIM: In a major victory to the people, the State government on Tuesday announced it woud draft a fresh
MARGAO: The ongoing agitation against housing projects across Salcete has forced many a panchayat body to either return construction files of the builders or reject the projects bowing to the wishes of the villagers. If Curtorim panchayat rejected the construction file of a housing project late last year, the Majorda-Utorda-Calata Panchayat has returned the construction file to a real estate developer as per the gram sabha resolution. That’s not all. The village panchayats of Rachol and Betalbatim are expected to soon take a call on the controversial housing projects coming up in their jurisdiction following uproar from the villagers.
MARGAO: The South Goa District Task Force Committee has set March 31 as the time-frame to make the entire district “smoke free district”. District Collector, N D Agrawal said the deadline set by the Task Force Committee can be achieved with the cooperation and participating of citizens from the district. “When we mean smoke free district, it implies a stop to smoking in public places”, he said. In this respect, the Task Force constituted under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, production, supply and distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA), will hold series of exhibitions at the taluka level on February 22 from 9 am to 6 pm.
PANJIM: The mines department was served with a legal notice challenging the legality of the Goa (Prevention of Illegal Mining Transportation and Storage of Minerals) Rules 2004 and demanding that the rules be withdrawn within two weeks. The notice served by Adv Krishnendu Mukherjee says that Section 23 C of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act 1957 does not allow for rules for trading of minerals by registered operators, but only for prevention of illegal mining, transportation and storage of minerals.
PANJIM: The Central Government, acting through the Union Environment and Forests Ministry, has blamed the Goa government for the current mining imbroglio, in a 107-page affidavit filed before the Supreme Court on Wednesday, pointing out to repeated directives issued by it, in a bid to ensure compliance of various mining related regulations. The ministry also pointed out that it acted swiftly after receiving the Shah Commission report on the irregularities in iron ore mining in Goa and directed the state government not to renew any mining lease until all issues were examined.
PANJIM: The Union Ministry of Environment of Forests has decreed that Gram Sabha clearance is not necessary for projects like construction of roads, canals and laying of pipelines through forest lands, reversing an earlier 2009 decision. The order issued to the state principal secretary (forests) by H C Chaudhary, Assistant Inspector General of Forests, says that “…proposals seeking prior approvals of the central government under the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980 for projects like construction of roads, laying of pipelines/optical fibers and transmission lines etc
PANJIM: Over 3000 micro and small scale industries (investment in plant and machineries) will be issued show cause notices on Wednesday by the Goa State Pollution Control Board for operating without consent
PANJIM: Mining dependent people from Goa have petitioned Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to evolve an affirmative political consensus between the State and the Centre for urgent and immediate resumption of mining activities in the State. Pro-mining agitators on Monday met Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar in New Delhi along with local NCP leaders and would also meet the PM, and petition that the Ministry of Environment and Forests be instructed to revoke the order of suspension of environment clearances, kept in abeyance since October 2012.
PANJIM: While admitting that a financial package is not a ‘permanent’ solution for rehabilitating mining affected people, Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday turned its guns on the Prime Minister, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Minister of Environment and Forests, in renewed inter party mug slinging on the mining suspension issue which has taken centrestage. Prime Minister is incapable of giving financial aid to the State”, BJP spokesman Dr Wilfred Mesquita told media persons, and termed Union Minister for Agriculture Sharad Pawar’s move to lead an all party delegation to Delhi on February 18 as a ‘publicity stunt’.
PANJIM/NEW DELHI: The Goa Foundation PIL which resulted in suspension of all mining operations in Goa is listed before the Forest Bench of the Supreme Court for Friday, but it may or may not come up as six other cases are listed before it for consideration by the Bench that meets only in the post-lunch session from 2 pm. The petition was filed in the wake of Justice M B Shah Commission report on illegal mining in Goa, which exposed projected illegalities amounting to Rs 35,000 crore.
PANJIM: The main contention of the affidavit filed by the state government before the Supreme Court is that Shah Commission report has erred in its valuation of illegal mining in Goa, putting the blame squarely on the Global Positioning System for inaccurate measurements, thereby justifying the mining carried out earlier. According to the Shah Commission there was a Rs 35,000 crore revenue loss due to illegal mining; while Manohar Parrikar, then Leader of Opposition and chairman Public Accounts Committee put the revenue loss at Rs 4,000 crore.