The Goa government, facing mounting criticism over the mining scam, is likely to revoke clearances given to 19 iron ore mines operating within the 10-km protected zones around wildlife sanctuaries.
In fact, the Goa government has, in the last four years, granted clearances to mines in the buffer zones without the board's nod and defended its decision saying the state advocate general's legal opinion was that clearance from state forest officials was sufficient.
The chief conservator of forests in charge of Goa, K S Reddy, said: “Yes, we have told the [state] government to take action in cases where mines have no clearance from the Wildlife Board.
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