PAAC forced to abandon probe into mining permit for Dry Harbour Mountain due to court case

 

Parliament's Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) was on Wednesday forced to abandon its probe of the permit issued to Bengal Development Limited for mining in the Dry Harbour Mountain after learning the matter is now before the courts.

 

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) and its parent ministry, the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, were expected to be grilled by the PAAC about the granting of the mining permit. 

 

However, Audrey Sewell, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, informed the committee of the developments during the sitting, noting that "there may be concern with us making public statements, even to outline the process for the issuing of the environmental permit, because action was filed in the Supreme Court." 

 

The committee suspended the sitting briefly to get legal advice and PAAC Chairman Mikael Phillips later announced the decision to put the matter on hold. However, he noted that if there is any reason to recall the groups, the committee would do so "after the matter has been ventilated in the courts."