Mining leases renewal: Goa Lokayukta issues notice to ex-CM Parsekar

Panaji: The Goa Lokayukta today issued notices to former chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar and two senior government officers in connection with the second renewal of 88 mining leases in 2014-15, which was quashed by the Supreme Court in February this year.

A petition was filed before Lokayukta Justice (Retd) P K Misra by Goa Foundation, an NGO, claiming that the illegal renewal had resulted into a loss of Rs 1,44,000 crore to the state exchequer.

The apex court had quashed all 88 mining leases renewed by the Goa government from November 2014 to January 12, 2015, on the plea of the Goa Foundation.

A senior official from the Institution of Lokayukta said the notices were issued to Parsekar, former state mines secretary Pawan Kumar Sain, and current Director of Mines and Geology Prasanna Acharya.

“The notices are issued under section 12 (2) of the Goa Lokayukta Act and they are returnable by May 7,” he said.
In view of the apex court order, the extraction of iron ore was stopped in Goa from March 16.