Opposition alleges green cess scam, demands inquiry

Porvorim: Claiming that the collection of green cess is a significant scam, the opposition on Friday demanded an inquiry or the constitution of a house committee to conduct a detailed inquiry in connection with the collection of green cess on coal and coke handling in the state. Leader of the opposition Yuri Alemao demanded a half-hour discussion on the issues in the Goa legislative assembly.
Chief minister Pramod Sawant said that 50% of the green cess was collected, and the remaining 50% would be collected once the Supreme Court decided the matter. Some companies approached the Supreme Court over govt decision to implement the Goa Cess on Products and Substances Causing Pollution Act 2013.
Alemao said the total coal and coke imported in Goa has been around 100 million tonnes for the last 10 years, and considering the average price of Rs 22,000 per tonne, with a 2% green cess, govt should have collected over Rs 8,000 crore. However, considering a 0.5% green cess, the amount is over Rs 2,000 crore. “Govt should have collected around Rs 1,000 crore as cess,” Alemao said.
Sawant said the new and renewable energy department directed the sales tax department to assess and collect the cess. “We will collect 100% cess. Green cess is collected only in Goa and not in any other state,” he said.
Alemao demanded that the power department disconnect the power of companies that have not paid the green cess, and the environment department should stop their operations.
Alemao said that the total tax demanded under the Goa Green Cess Act was Rs 352.2 crore, and the tax paid is Rs 237 crore. Out of this, petroleum companies paid Rs 190 crore, and the coke/coal industry paid a mere Rs 47 crore. “Why is govt slow on collecting taxes from the coal/coke industry?” he asked.
Alemao said that BJP made ‘Parivartan’ in Green cess by reducing it to 0.5% from 2.00%, causing a loss of thousands of crore to the state exchequer.