Even as it has renewed 87 of the 336 iron ore mining leases, the Goa Department of Mines and Geology on Wednesday indicated that the State government would seek clarification from the Ministry of Mines regarding the life of mining leases in Goa, in view of the Mines and Minerals Development Regulation Amendment Ordinance, 2015.
Sources disclosed that the renewal had to be finalised by registering the leases with the Sub Registrar with the payment of fees.
The State treasury is expected to be richer by around Rs.1,200 crore when all the 87 leases would be registered.
The ordinance says that “all the mining leases granted before the commencement of the ordinance shall be deemed to have been granted for a period of 50 years and that on the expiry of leases, the same shall be put for auction.” The State government wants clarification on whether the 50-year life of a lease is considered from the liberation of Goa in 1961 or from the Mining Concession (Abolition and Declaration as Mining leases) Act, 1987.
The latter, which is still sub-judice, converted all the mining concessions of Goa into leases in 1987.
87 of the 336 iron
ore mining leases
have been renewed
