PANAJI
The Opposition Congress on Monday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Goa led by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant of being hand-in-glove with defaulters owing mining dues and permitting iron ore exports illegally.
Congress general secretary Srinivas Khalap alleged that the Directorate of Mines & Geology has permitted M/s Vedanta Ltd to export iron ore without paying dues of a total of Rs.165 crores. Khalap said, he has written a letter to Sawant and demanded an immediate stop to the exports by the defaulter company.
"This is evident that the BJP government is hand in glove with M/s Vedanta Ltd and has permitted the export of ore though they have failed to pay dues. How can the mines department allow them without asking to pay dues," Khalap asked. "As per our information, it is clear that the Department of Mines has still not recovered over Rs 271 crore from various mining companies," Khalap said.
"If the government fails to stop this illegal export and recover dues from this company then it will be further proved that it is promoting crony capitalists to loot Goa," Khalap said.
