Union Minister welcomes SC 'verdict' when order reserved

Union minister Shripad Naik issued a statement on his official letter head, welcoming a Supreme Court "judgement" that was never delivered, but withdrew it on realising the gaffe.

The BJP leader issued the statement on Thursday, hours after the apex court reserved its order on a plea by a mining company seeking its nod to commercially use and transport the already extracted iron ore lying unused in its mines in Goa.

However, Naik, the Member of Parliament from North Goa, issued a statement welcoming the Supreme Court "judgement" on iron ore mines in the his home state.

"Welcome judgement by Hon'ble Supreme Court of India (SC) for passing judgement on allowing ore mined till 15th March 2018 as legal and authorized for transportation," Naik said in the statement issued on his letter head.

When contacted, Naik said he issued the statement after a couple of television news channels carried a report that the SC has given its "verdict" in favour of Goa.

When I realised that the order has been reserved, the statement was withdrawn, he said.

The Union minister said Goans are waiting eagerly for resumption of mining activity whose closure has affected livelihood of several thousand people.

We are expecting the SC to give relief to the mining- dependent people, the Minister of State for Defence said.

Immediately after Naik's first statement, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant issued a separate press release, saying the SC has reserved its judgement on transportation of the ore extracted prior to the mining ban.

Iron ore mining in Goa has come to a standstill since February 2018, when the apex court quashed 88 mining leases. The state government subsequently moved the apex court with a review petition against its order.