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Issue of mining permits: Minister orders probe following ST report
View(s):Environment and Renewable Energy Minister Susil Premjayantha said he has asked the internal audit unit of his Ministry to conduct an inquiry and report if mining permits have been issued in an irregular manner to private companies
The Minister said he ordered the inquiry after the Sunday Times report of November 3 in which it was revealed that a Canadian mining firm has entered into an agreement with a Sri Lankan company to acquire the local outfit’s exclusive exploration licences for a reported 113 graphite mining grids in the country.
The Minister said that he is expecting the report within a week and would present it to the Parliamentary Consultative Committee of his Ministry. “We also have to change the laws so that the natural resources in the country are used for the maximum benefit of the country,” he said.