Since minerals are such large stores of wealth, extreme transparency is required to safeguard it. We strongly recommend that the Goa government must adopt best in class transparency and control standards. How else will the common citizen know how their inheritance was used? The Extractive Industry (aka mining) has over 40 transparency initiatives such as EITI and PWYP. The World Bank and UNEP …
Author: Goenchi Mati
What do Goans want?
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 …
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 …
CAG finds Rs.9,000 cr mining losses in Odisha
The Financial Express reports that the CAG’s Performance Audit of mining in Odisha has found 17 companies benefiting to the extent of Rs. 9,000 crores. Further, the Integrated Mines & Minerals Management System (i3MS), considered the best in India, is far from satisfactory. Out of 43,464 e-permits for 188.60 million tons of iron ore, only 19,053 (44%) permits for 88.39 (47%) million tons …
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?
Talk at BITS Pilani Goa on Sep 28
Rahul Basu from the Goenchi Mati Movement will be speaking about our Goenchi Mati Proposal at BITS Pilani Goa. If you would like to attend, please email solanodasilva@gmail.com with your name and phone number by tuesday evening so that the security can be informed.
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 …
Talk at BITS Pilani Goa on Sep 28
Rahul Basu from the Goenchi Mati Movement will be speaking about our Goenchi Mati Proposal at BITS Pilani Goa. If you would like to attend, please email solanodasilva@gmail.com with your name and phone number by tuesday evening so that the security can be informed.
History of the Texas Permanent University Fund
The oldest known Permanent Fund is Texas’s Permanent University Fund. While it was set up in 1876, its origins go much further back to 1839. Interestingly, while its main asset was grazing land & the income from it financed the University of Texas. In 1923, oil was found on university land. Wisely, the oil receipts were treated as principal rather than as …