Goa - 10,000 Crore Illegal Mining Scam Justice Shah Commission to submit report in November
Goa - 10,000 Crore Illegal Mining Scam Justice Shah Commission to submit report in November
Updated on Thursday, September 29, 2011
Karnataka mining scam is pegged at Rs.16, 000 crore,
Former deputy chief minister and ruling Congress legislator Dayanand Narvekar has pegged the mining scam in Goa at Rs.10, 000 crore.
Goa produces nearly 54 million tonnes of iron ore annually. Of this, nearly 20 percent is said to be illegal.
Goa, the largest exporter of iron ore in the country exported 54 million metric tones of ore last financial year.
Currently Shah Commission is looking into illegal mining scam in Goa.
Former Supreme Court judge M.B. Shah, who heads a nine-member commission probing charges of illegal mining in Goa is expected to submit his report on illegal mining in Goa to the central government in November.
Justice Shah told to Media that "Somehow there is always a shortage of staff. Shortage of staff causes delay. Delay creates difficulty,"
Narvekar said that Illegal mining in Goa is worth Rs.10, 000 crore.
Goa is exporting more ore than in it is producing.
How can that happen unless the excess ore is extracted illegally?
Dayanand Narvekar has deposed before the commission that illegal extraction is to the order of Rs.10, 000 crore.
He has said that the massive disparity in the state government figures of export and extraction of iron ore clearly exposed the scam.
He stated that the Mines Department authenticates the challan submitted by exporter without verifying from where he has sourced the ore.
Former telecom minister A Raja gave environmental clearances for 169 mines in Goa when he was union environment minister for period 2004-2009.
Sunita Narain, director, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi, who has studied illegal mining in Goa told to media that “Raja's tenure as environment minister was the beginning of the phase of growth of mineral exploitation and of new projects.
But it’s also the biggest shame on India's environment history because of bad processes and corruption,”
The Goa assembly’s public accounts committee (PAC) chairman Manohar Parrikar told HT that 25% of the iron ore extracted in the state had been mined without environmental clearances.
Updated on Sunday, September 25, 2011 – 5.00 PM IST
Few examples of Environment and Violations
48 of the 92 mining companies have flouted norms and over 90 lakh tonnes worth several hundred crore has been illegally mined in the last four years alone.
1. Environmental clearance limit for the Vedanta-owned Sesa Goa Ltd's three mines was two lakh tonnes annually. However, in 2006, it extracted 8 lakh tonnes.
2. VM Salgaocar & Brothers Pvt Ltd was permitted to extract 16.92 lakh tonnes from its four mines. But since 2006, the company extracted almost 27 lakh tonnes.
3. VS Dempo, had permission to extract 11 lakh tonnes from its three mines, but it extracted over 20 lakh tonnes in 2008.
Updated on Thursday, September 29, 2011
The miner-politician independent Goa MLA Anil Salgaoncar has confessed to exporting 1.3 million tones of iron ore from Goa in 2010 without paying royalty.
Now for doing this what will be the Punishment no Jail term.
The Mining Department says it will charge Salgaoncar approximately R 30 crores in royalty along with interest.
Comptroller Auditor General (CAG) has pointed out that from 2004 to 2006, 10.9 million metric tonnes of iron ore was exported from the state's ports without paying royalty.
Reality views by sm –
Friday, September 23, 2011
Tags-News Corruption Illegal Mining Goa Justice Shah 10,000 Crore
