The Supreme Court’s special green bench on Monday said it would hear various pleas seeking resumption of iron ore mining operations in Goa from September 17.
Various pleas have been also filed seeking lifting of ban on exports to boost the country?s economy.
Seeking modification of the Supreme Court’s order of last October that suspended mining operations in the state, Sesa Goa, the once-flagship iron ore producer of Anil Agarwal-controlled Vedanta Resources, had also earlier argued for lifting of ban in view of thousands of people, who are directly or indirectly involved with mining, having lost their sole source of income.
Sesa Goa had earlier sought permission to transport, sale and export 4.766 million tonnes of already mined iron ore lying at various locations in Goa.
The apex court had on a PIL by Goa Foundation,
the NGO, imposed a blanket ban on mining operations since October last year in the state.
The PIL had sought to restrain the resumption of iron and manganese ore mining and exports in Goa amid
a judicial commission estimating a loss of Rs 35,000 crore to the exchequer due to illegal mining in the state since 2000.
