Panaji: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed 25 iron ore mining lease holders in Goa to appear before the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) on September 7 in connection with the judgement passed by the Supreme Court in the Talaulikar and Sons case on environment clearance for mining leases.
Shankar Jog and Goa Foundation, an NGO, moved the NGT on the grounds that the MoEF is not taking action against the 25 lease holders for their failure to comply with the SC order.
Mr. Jog had filed a case against M/s. Talaulikar and Sons Pvt Ltd before the Bombay High Court at Goa, where he argued that the clearance granted to M/s Talaulikar and Sons was valid for five years, and had expired. The court had directed the firm to get the clearance within three months or face closure. As it failed to get the nod, it was closed down.
The firm approached the Supreme Court against the High Court judgement, which refused to stay the order. On July 12, 2016, the Supreme Court had quashed the order issued by the MoEF in 2007 extending the clearance to M/s Talaulikar, beyond the initial period of two years. The Environment Ministry had granted a conditional approval for two years in 2005, stating that the party had to carry out a hydrogeological study, and then extended the term without holding a public hearing in connection with the study, which was produced two years later.
Mr. Jog and the NGO found that 56 more mining leases had flouted the rules, and shot a letter to the MoEF on September 23, 2016, which said that of the 52 leases, 25 required fresh approval.
As the Ministry did not respond, the NGO and Mr. Jog petitioned the NGT, which on September 23, 2016, had directed that the MoEF will hear the parties, and file an affidavit of compliance before October 11.
