Aanchal Agarwal
Published on: September 8, 2021, at 16:50 IST
The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected Petitions filed by mining companies in Goa to increase their Lease period until 2037.
The Petitions were filed by Vedanta Ltd among several other companies. The Goa Government had earlier refused to accept their request of extending their Lease period as the Apex Court specifically prohibits such extension.
A Bench comprising Justices DY Chandrachud, Vikram Nath and Hima Kohli rejected the Plea.
Vedanta Ltd is the largest operating mining company in Goa. The company went against the Government’s decision to not extend the Lease period from 1987 to 2037 under Sections 8(A)(3) of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act).
The mining companies urged before the Apex Court that under MMDR Act all the leases that were functional before the amendment shall be further granted for a term period of fifty years.
They further stated that in Goa’s case it meant 50 years from the year 1987, it is the year Goa’s mining leases were converted from Portuguese granted concessions under the MMDR Act.
The companies also argued that since their mines were legally functional when the amendment came into effect in 2015, they are eligible for the extension of the lease.
The Goa Government stated that even if they agreed with the Petitioner’s standpoint, they cannot extend the lease deed due to the Apex Court’s verdict dated February 7, 2018, which the Court cancelled the lease renewals of 88 mining companies and directed that leases and environmental clearances are granted afresh.
Alvares stated that “After the dismissal of the review petitions, it was obvious that the Appeals and Petitions filed by Vedanta and other companies would also go out of the window. With these new changes, the private mining industry and its lobbies which held sway over the sector for more than 50 years have come to an inglorious end”.
The Director of Goa Foundation, Claude Alvares is also a Respondent in this case. He had earlier filed Petitions which resulted in the closure of mining in Goa.
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