Now Reading: Bombay HC dismisses Goa Foundation review on mining dump policy
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Bombay HC dismisses Goa Foundation review on mining dump policy
The Bombay high court has dismissed a review petition by environmental group Goa Foundation against its May 7 order that upheld Goa's mining dump policy. The policy allows iron ore from dumps…
The Bombay high court has dismissed a review petition by environmental group Goa Foundation against its May 7 order that upheld Goa's mining dump policy. The policy allows iron ore from dumps to be returned to former leaseholders without a public auction.
Goa Foundation had argued that the state government is legally required to hold auctions for removing ore from dumps, and that the lack of auction could cause loss to the public exchequer. The group also claimed the court wrongly observed that royalty had already been paid on the ore.
The high court bench of Justices Suman Shyam and Amit Jamsandekar said it found no clear error on record to warrant a review. It stated that even if the disputed paragraph was removed, the outcome of the original petition would not change. The court noted that the power to review is very limited and that any error in judgment can only be corrected by a superior forum in an appeal.
Indian Opinion Analysis
This is not the end of the legal battle over Goa's iron ore dumps, which contain millions of tonnes of material valued at thousands of crores. Goa Foundation could appeal to the Supreme Court, which has previously intervened in mining matters. The core dispute is whether the state's policy of returning dumps to former lessees without auction violates the Mines and Minerals Act, which mandates competitive bidding for mineral concessions. The government's view is that since the ore was already extracted under valid leases, no fresh auction is needed. A Supreme Court appeal would likely be the next milestone to watch.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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