Panaji | Sept 29, 2015: The Union Ministry for Environment and Forests (MoEF) constituted expert appraisal committee on Environment Clearances (EC) had recommended revocation of EC of 43 iron ore mining leases, of the 88 renewed by the State Government.

The Vishwanath Anand Expert Appraisal Committee on ECs issued for mining in Goa, had also recommended that the ECs of 40 leases be kept in abeyance till clearance from the National Board of Wildlife (NBW), while it had proposed complete EC abeyance in case of five leases.

The Committee was constituted by the Ministry in February 2013, after the ECs of 117 leases were kept in abeyance following suspension of iron ore mining activities in the State. The committee submitted its report to the Supreme Court on October 30, 2013.

The Goa Foundation obtained a copy of the report through RTI. As per the report, there are 63 leases booked for excess production and have also been engaged in dump mining. There are 54 leases involved in encroachments and there are 11 leases needing forest clearances.

The MoEF had on March 20, 2015, through an order lifted the EC abeyance of 72 mining leases, while at a later stage two more leases were granted ECs. Between November last year and January this year, Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG), granted second renewal to 88 mining leases under Section 8(3) of the Mines and Minerals Development Regulation (MMDR) Act 1957.[

(Source: http://www.goacom.com/)