Goa Mining Leases

With the approval for a revised policy, the Goa government is eyeing a revenue of about Rs 500 crore from e-auction of unclaimed iron ore heaps lying on private lands, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Thursday. The state government on Thursday approved the revised Goa Iron Ore Mining Dump Handling Policy, 2023, which allows it to e-auction unclaimed ore lying in the form of dumps at various private locations in the state. The iron ore mining. a major source of revenue, has been halted in the coastal state since 2012 following a Supreme Court order. The state has now begun e-auctioning of the mining blocks. The iron ore dumps, which have been lying at various locations in the state, have remained untouched since mining operations stopped in 2012. Briefing the media after the cabinet meeting, Sawant said under the revised mining dump policy, the heaps of ore that are "unclaimed on private land without payment of the land conversion fee" will be e-auctioned by the state ...

Sardesai also said it would be better to close down the mining industry than it be handled by people from outside Goa

Crucially, the court also notes at one point that of the 88 mining leases that were renewed, 38 of them 'were not working for a variety of reasons'

Parrikar said currently there are 277 valid iron ore mining leases in the sate