Clearance delay blamed for ongoing sand mining freeze
PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said the State government will take up the matter of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance for sand mining with the Centre in a bid to restart legal sand extraction activities in Goa.
Speaking to reporters after chairing a review meeting on the overall mining sector, Sawant said sand mining had been halted due to the absence of CRZ clearance, which falls under the purview of the Government of India.
“We are making efforts to obtain the required permissions. Once the clearance is granted, sand mining will resume immediately,” he said, insisting on legal sand mining.
The meeting, attended by officials from various departments, focused on issues affecting both major and minor minerals, with particular emphasis on sand and laterite mining.
Sawant further said that the government had decided to introduce a single-window system for granting approvals related to laterite mining. At present, 28 applications for laterite extraction are pending due to delays in environmental clearances.
“To speed up the process, we will implement a single-window clearance mechanism through the Department of Mines. The Deputy Director of Mines has been instructed to work closely with the Director of Environment to resolve the bottlenecks,” Sawant said, adding that all legal operations related to sand and laterite mining would begin shortly, once the necessary permissions are in place.
The meeting also took note of various challenges faced by companies involved in major minerals.
The CM said efforts will be made to streamline procedures across departments, including the District Collector’s Office and the Department of Environment, to ensure smoother operations.
