Forty-two mining companies will be issued notices within one month to recover Rs 1200 crore due to the state on account of illegal mining, Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant said.
Sawant, who holds the mining portfolio, said he was eager to ensure the resumption of mining but at the same time said he would be firm in ensuring every rupee due to the state would be recovered.
“We had appointed a committee of 16 chartered accountants. They have submitted the report and it is with the government,” Sawant said while speaking during the Question Hour of the legislative assembly on Tuesday.
“The report states that Rs 1200 crore is due to the government. We are giving them an order to recover money. A total of 42 companies will be sent notices within a month,” he said.
Sawant also promised to fast track cases of illegal mining being probed by a special investigation team.
“There are nine cases. We are fast-tracking the cases. Even in the one case where there was an acquittal, we have taken it before the high court. The remaining cases are under investigation,” Sawant said.
The chief minister refused to name the accused, saying that he would not want to jeopardise the investigation.
Sawant, however, ruled out auction as a means to restart mining saying that a case concerning the challenge to the Goa Mining Concessions (Abolition and Declaration as Mining Leases) Act, 1987, which was pending before the Supreme Court.
“Until that issue is decided by the Supreme Court we cannot go for an auction,” he said.
Opposition legislators accused the BJP of crying hoarse about illegal mining while they were in the opposition but failing to prove that it was present in the coastal state or indeed recover any money from companies that had mined illegally.
“The Shah Commission had said that illegal mining in Goa was worth Rs 35,000 crore. But you have recovered only Rs 3.99 crore,” Congress’ Reginaldo Lourenço said citing replies given to him in the legislative assembly.
