Panaji, Dec 13 : A day before the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear two review petitions related to the resumption of mining activities in Goa, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday said that he hoped that the court would be in a position to decide the matter in “two or three” hearings.
“The good thing is that the review petitions filed by the government and the mining companies are being taken up at one time… we hope that the issue will be resolved within two or three (court) dates,” Sawant told reporters here.
The Chief Minister said that Goa Advocate General Devidas Pangam had already briefed the Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta with respect to the SC hearing on Monday.
“We have sought (extension of mining leases) till 2027. If it turns that way, then for the next seven years, mining can be carried out in a streamlined way… finally, it is up to the court to decide, but we are hopeful,” Sawant said.
Full-fledged iron ore extraction in Goa was stopped after the Supreme Court found in 2018 glaring irregularities in the process adopted to renew 88 mining leases.
The Goa government’s review petition as well as another review petition filed by private mining companies operating in Goa, will be heard by the apex court on Monday.
Apart from the judicial ruling, the BJP-led coalition governments, both in Goa as well as at the Centre, are simultaneously working towards finding a “legislative cure” to enable the mining industry to restart.
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