112 mine owners ignore order to submit 5-yr report
PTI, PANAJI | 17 August 2013 13:30 IST
A majority of mine owners in Goa have ignored the State Government’s order to submit details of mining activity during the last five years.
Only six of the 118 mining lease holders in the coastal state, from where rampant illegal mining has been reported, have responded to the directive seeking details of their activity in the last five years.
The Directorate of Mines and Geology had issued a circular asking all the mining leases to submit their details by August 15.
The agency has received response from only six mine owners, officials said here.
“We will now refer the matter to the State Government and seek suggestion on what action could be taken against the erring mining lease holders,” a senior official said.
The Mines and Geology Department had sought details for comprehensive audit of the mineral which had been extracted, stored and exported from the state. Notices were issued to 118 mining lease holders and 49 traders.
The details of extraction, storage and trade were sought from 2007-08 till last year when mining was stopped on court direction following allegation of illegalities.
Information regarding production, export, purchase of ore, domestic sale, iron ore storage, opening and closing stock, clearances from Ministry of Environment and Forest, Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), among others, had been sought by the Department.
The Department has decided to scrutinise the records with the help of a panel of chartered accountants to find out illegalities, if any.
Justice M B Shah commission, in its report, had pegged the illegal mining scam in Goa at Rs 35,000 crore.
It is not a surprise to me. If they file the returns/details the cat will be out of the bag. Most of the mine owners keep all their money abroad (Swiss Bank) and only bring in the money which is required to pay salaries of staff and the other expenses they require. If Goa doesn't have industries, its because of this reason.
If mine owners of Goa are not co-operating with Goa Government, I wonder why Goa Government has to extend help beyond legal frameworks to mining companies and related agencies!
I’m of the opinion that Government must recover even the costs that will be incurred in scrutinizing the records with the help of a panel of chartered accounts from the mine owners! After all Goa Government is going to spend ‘public money’ for getting records scrutinized!!
Let me also say that Goa Government must press Supreme Court to direct legal action on illegal mining firms based on Justice M. B. Shah commission report. After all this commission was framed by Supreme Court!