the goan I network
PANAJI
Goa Lokayukta has issued noticed to former Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, former Mines Secretary Pavan Kumar Sen and Mines Director Prasanna Acharya in the illegal mining lease renewal case filed by Dr Claude Alvares of Goa Foundation.
The trio has been asked to submit a reply by May 7.
Goa Foundation director Dr Claude Alvares recently submitted a complaint before Goa Lokayukta seeking an investigation into the circumstances that led to the en masse second renewal of 88 mining leases in the state from November 1, 2014 to January 12, 2015
Former CM and Mines Minister Parsekar, Mines Secretary Sen and Director of Mines Acharya were named as respondents in the complaint.
“The illegal second renewals were done in order to benefit these private persons and companies. The Supreme Court of India quashed and set aside the renewal of all 88 leases by its judgement dated February 7, 2018,” the complaint states.
Alvares claimed that 88 leases were suspended by the Supreme Court as there was corruption and illegality involved in extending them till 2020. He also alleged that, in doing so, Goa Government willfully gave away a sum of Rs 1.44 lakh crores through these three officers.
