The Regional Plan 2021, a futuristic land use document prepared by the government, has revived 63 mining leases in the sanctuary, located 60 km from here.
The decision comes at a time when opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has accused the government of a Rs.25,000 crore illegal mining scam, saying it was bigger than the mining scam in Karnataka.
The Regional Plan 2021, whose parts were officially released recently, said some of the mines proposed to be revived in the sanctuary were non-operational for several decades now.
An environmentalist said that the government's move smacked of double standards and that it was paving the way for mining in the prohibited forest areas.
"The Goa government is trying to bring in 336 other mining leases which are non-operational back to life by including them in the Regional Plan 2021. There is no mining happening there for years now...why is the chief minister (Digambar Kamat) reviving them," said environment activist Claude Alvares. Read the full report here.
Source: Hindustan Times, Panaji.
