Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has called on the Mineral Resource Department and the Minister for Lands Mereseini Vuniwaqa to resolve the row over the granting of the special prospecting license to Namosi Joint Venture to explore minerals in the Namosi highlands.

During a talanoa session at Waivaka Village in Namosi yesterday, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama heard that majority of the landowners there did not agree to the granting of exploration license to the Namosi Joint Venture.

Bainimarama says the discussions he had with the Minerals Resource Department is that everyone had been consulted and he was not aware that the exploration was destroying the environment especially the rivers.

With this concern, Bainimarama has called for an urgent meeting to resolve the matter.

He has also assured the people of Namosi that government will not allow any exploration to harm their environment.

The Landowners claim that those who were consulted prior to the extension of license are not registered to the village in the Vola Ni Kawa Bula.

The Prime Minister did not indicate when the urgent meeting will take place.