PANAJI | March 31, 2017: The state government is expected to seek additional ten million metric tonne quota for its annual iron ore production, from the Supreme Court, with the expert committee of the state government recommending total annual mining quota of 30 million metric tonne for Goa, with the existing infrastructure.
Goa has already exhausted its 20 million metric tonne annual iron ore production quota for the year 2016-17 as fixed by the apex court. Most of the mines in the state, except four have stopped their iron ore production nearly ten days ago.
Meanwhile, the officials of the department of mines and geology have reached New Delhi on March 30, as the hearing of cases pertaining to state mining would be commencing from March 31.
It may be recalled that the state government had recently allocated additional production quota to 30 mining leaseholders from the overall annual production limit of 20 million metric tonnes of iron ore, so that the overall production limit of 20 million metric tonnes set by the Supreme Court would be achieved in the current fiscal year 2016-17.
This would, in turn, enable the government to approach the apex court for a hike in the production limit, as failure to achieve the annual production limit by March 31, would have made it irrational on the part of the state government to approach the Supreme Court, seeking a hike in Goa’s annual iron ore production limit.
The government wants to increase the mining cap so that the state receives higher revenue from mining exports.
(Source: http://www.navhindtimes.in/)