According to an affidavit filed by the Goa government in the Supreme Court, the state government plans to ban completely all fresh excavation of mineral ore.
The affidavit, which was filed in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking action against rampant illegal mining, claimed that the state government already confiscated low grade iron ore dumps on revenue and forest lands, which would be publicly auctioned to the highest bidder.
A local NGO along with noted Supreme Court lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan filed the PIL.
The affidavit also said that the state government would prefer to allow excavation of existing low grade iron ore dumps worth billions.
Mining has been banned in Goa for over four months now, after the Supreme Court, hearing a petition filed by Prashant Bhushan, announced a probe by a central empowered committee into GoaÂ’s Karnataka like illegal mining scandal.
The petition follows the revelation of a Rs 35,000 crore illegal scam exposed by a judicial commission headed by Justice MB Shah who has said that top mining companies, politicians as well as bureaucrats, were beneficiaries of the scam.
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