As mining recommences, Shweta Kamat writes in the Herald about the expectations of the mining companies (a higher cap, mining corridor, reducing or removing the levy for the permanent fund and a bigger transportation window). The truck owners want a higher transportation rate. But what do Goans want? Do we want more environmental damage? Do we want to lose more of our mineral …
Tag: Goa
The 5 points in the Herald today
Sarah McGinnis writes about our Goenchi Mati Movement in the Sunday Herald Review today. She also explains the five points at the core of our movement: Minerals are owned by the people & the state is only a trustee on behalf of the people and future generations Minerals are inherited assets and we are merely custodians for future generations If we …
CAG’s 2015 report on Goa mining
The CAG’s performance audit report on mining in Goa was recently released. Of the 88 leases renewed, only 3 leases were executed and registered by July 2015 (the last were renewed on 12-Jan-2015). Large errors were observed in the stamp duty amount collected in two cases. The stamp duty to be collected was Rs. 14.25 crores. Instead, only Rs. 9.75 crores …
Centre requiring auction of minor minerals in UP
PTI reports that the Centre has asked Uttar Pradesh to amend its rules for minor minerals to make it transparent and non-discriminatory – auctions in other words. This follows from the Supreme Court judgement in the Presidential Reference on allocation of natural resources. When will Goa follow suit?
Sand storms approaching
Sand is a mineral and often thought to be renewable. However, the world is actually running out of sand. Sand is also a huge corruption and governance problem across the planet and its turned deadly. And its worst in India. M. Rajshekhar recently wrote a devastating 3 part series (one, two and three) on sand mining in Tamil Nadu. For the first …
Why should all mineral receipts be saved in the Permanent Fund?
There are a few reasons we recommend that mineral receipts be saved only in a Permanent Fund as the new non-wasting asset. First, by insisting on all amounts being saved in the Permanent Fund, we are insulating the budget from the boom & bust commodity cycle. When prices are high, revenues expands, and politicians expand expenditure to match. When the prices crash, so …
Consultations on the District Mineral Foundations
Goa’s District Mineral Foundation Rules have been notified by the government. Unfortunately, the Goa DMFs do not comply with the mining laws, in particular the PMKKKY (Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana). Already over Rs. 30 crores have been collected. However, a recent legislative assembly question disclosed that no plans have been drawn up to utilize the funds, as required by the notified DMFs …
Goa has a Permanent Fund, why doesn’t the UK?
Rahul Basu and Deepak Narayanan write at the Citizen’s Income Trust website about what the UK can learn from our Goenchi Mati Movement. The UK recovered around GBP 400 billion less that Norway from a similar amount of North Sea oil. A huge loss to the people, roughly GBP 6,000 a head. As UK starts fracking, instituting our principles of zero loss …
Would you like Rs. 9,000 every year?
From the amount recoverable for the mining illegalities, Karan Bhagat estimates that Rs. 9,000 can be paid out each year to every man, woman and child in Goa as a Citizen’s Dividend. Would you like to receive such a Citizen’s Dividend?
Mining illegalities have recommenced
Mining in Goa came to a screeching halt in 2012 with the Shah Commission Report. One of the key findings was widespread illegalities. “It is pertinent to state here that such illegal act can’t happen without connivance of the politicians, bureaucrats and lessees. There is a complete collapse of the system.” It would seem that the industry hasn’t learnt. A number of illegalities have …