Panaji: Stating that the government has fast-tracked all eight cases of illegal mining under the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and these cases, in all probability would reach the logical end before the monsoon session of the state legislative assembly, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said that the recovery proceedings against 42 mining companies, accused of being part of the mining scam, are presently on and notices would be issued to them within a month’s time.
Earlier, Sawant, who holds the mining and geology portfolio, was grilled by the opposition on the mining issue during the Question Hour on the second day of the budget session of the assembly.
Stating that the priority of his government is to restart legal mining in Goa, the Chief Minister said that eight cases of illegal mining are being probed by the SIT, while one was discharged, and the government has filed an appeal before the High Court of Bombay at Goa as regards the same.
Speaking further, he said that a team of 16 chartered accountants appointed by the government to identify the money lost to illegal mining, and which included no auditor representing the mine owners, has submitted its report. “The team has fixed the amount of money lost to illegal mining at Rs 1,200 crore and order has been given to recover this money from the 42 mining companies involved in illegal mining,” he added, informing that related notices would be issued in a month’s time.
The Chief Minister said that many steps have been taken by the government to restart mining operations in Goa including e-auction of 16.81 MT of ore earning Rs 130 crore for the state exchequer, filing review petition before the Supreme Court with the intent to restart mining, filing Interlocutory Application before the apex court for allowing handling of mining dumps, taking positive stand before the Supreme Court for transportation of 1.45 MT royalty-paid ore, and finally exploring various alternatives to restart mining operations. He also stated that royalty has not been paid on ore amounting 7.7 MT.
Opposition MLA and former chief minister Luizinho Faleiro demanded a white paper on the government’s position as regards the mining scenario in the state, which, he said, ought to include the existing ore deposits, delay on part of the government in resuming mining operations and delay in the probe against those responsible for illegal mining.
The Congress MLA from Navelim also pointed out that the Goa Lokayukta has taken a serious look at illegal mining in Goa and even ordered probe and action against former chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar.
Faleiro maintained that the total borrowings by the state stand at Rs 20,411.61 crore, with the government having taken per capita loan of Rs 1.40 lakh per head. “You are taking loans to pay interest on the loans, repay previous loans and pay salaries, when there is no revenue through mining activities,” he added, pointing out that there is total meltdown of Goan economy, and the government should immediately restart mining operations to take benefit of the unexcavated ore worth Rs 45,00,000 crore existing in Goa.
Coming out with the information that total borrowings of Rs 16,000 crore were sought by the governments during the past ten years, and whatever loan his government has taken is spent on infrastructure development, the Chief Minister revealed that only 20 per cent of the surface rights in mining lease areas are with the government, while private mining lease owners hold more than 70 per cent of such rights.
He also maintained that the auctioning of mining leases in the state is not possible, as the government does not have surface rights of most of these leases.