the goan I network
MAPUSA
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday told the Legislative Assembly that his government was exploring various alternatives to resume mining at the earliest and at the same time, taking concrete steps to recover mining dues.
“Within one month, we will send notices to 42 companies which have evaded tax. We will recover whatever amount is possible. We will not leave anyone,” Sawant said.
The chief minister was responding to Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, who slammed the government for going slow in recovering dues due to illegal mining.
Raising the issue during the Question Hour, the Curtorim MLA asked the government why was it shying from naming those involved in the illegal mining.
The Chief Minister said since the matter was under investigation it was not right to mention names. “No cases are closed. SIT investigation is going on. We have fast-tracked the probe. Whatever has to be done to recover dues will be done,”
he said.
“Nine cases are under investigation of which one case has been chargesheeted and acquitted. We have filed a revision petition in High Court in connection with the acquitted case,” he added.
He said his government was aware of the difficulties mining dependent people were facing and has taken a series of steps to restart mining.
“I am from Kotambi, which is the hub of mining. No one will know better than me on how much the people from the mining belt have suffered. I want mining to start. I want to start legal mining in the State,” he said.
Listing the various steps taken by his government, the Chief Minister said the State has filed various review petitions before the Supreme Court to resume mining activities which was expected to be taken up soon by the apex court.
“The State government has filed an Interlocutory Application before the Supreme Court for allowing handling of dumps based on the recommendations of Central Empowered Committee,” he said.
He said the recent Supreme Court order which permitted mining companies to transport already mined ore, if they have paid royalty to government, was due to the positive stand taken by his government.
He said the government has conducted 22 e-auctions of the ore extracted in the State.
“A total of 16.81 MMT was put for auction out of which 13.54 MMT has been so far sold and revenue of around Rs 130 crore has been earned,”
he said.
Denying the opposition’s charge on getting bogged down due to vested interests in taking a firm decision to restart mining, Sawant said the auction route cannot be taken yet on account of pending case on the Goa, Daman and Diu Abolition and Declaration of Mining Lease Act, 1987 (Abolition Act) in the Supreme Court.
He also disclosed that most of the surface rights of mining leases were with private companies and only around 20 per cent was with the government.
Earlier speaking on the issue, Congress MLA Luizinho Faleiro said the government was in debt trap yet the government was dilly-dallying in taking a decision to start mining by way of auction.
He said the government was taking loans to pay previous loans, interest, salaries, etc but failed to recover mining dues.
“Our State is rich. Why are we suffering? We are not getting our works passed just because of the precarious financial situation of the State,”
he said.
Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat, Sudin Dhavalikar, Clafasio Dias, Anatasio (Babush) Monseratte and Nilkant Halarnkar also took part in the discussion.
