The government of the western Indian state of Goa has enacted the “The Goa Cess on Products and Substances Causing Pollution (Green Cess) Act” under which a cess equivalent to 0.5 percent of sale value will be levied on transportation of coal, coke and iron ore in the state, a government official said on Wednesday, October 25.
A similar green cess has already been imposed in the neighbouring state of Gujarat.
The Goa High Court in a verdict last month upheld the constitutional validity of the imposition of the cess by the state government. However, some industries have applied to India’s Supreme Court appealing against the order of the lower court.
Many low-grade iron ore miners in Goa including JSW Steel’s subsidiary South West Ports, Vedanta, Goa Carbon and Zuari Agro Chemicals had challenged the legislative competence of the Goa government to enact the Goa Cess.