Panaji: Goa Legislative Assembly-constituted
Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report on illegal mining is
learnt to have recommended that the role of ports and Central
Excise and Customs be probed in wake of the illegal ore
exports from the coastal state.
According to sources, the report, which was handed over
to Speaker of Legislative Assembly Pratapsingh Rane today
during the session, said that the role of Mormugao Port Trust
(MPT), port authorities at Panaji port and Customs also needs
to be investigated in view of huge quantities of export that
were been permitted without documents, to prove the source and
legality of the ore.
The state government fighting back to control the export
of ore illegally from the state had made mandatory to get 'No
Objection Certificate'(NOC) from the State Mines and Geology
department before the consignment is dispatched abroad.
While Panaji Port had immediately implemented the
government guidelines in November last year, the MPT had
delayed in implementing it as late as January, 2011.
The PAC report has said that of the total 54 million
metric tonnes of ore exported during financial year 2010-11,
almost 5.5 million metric tonnes was sent illegally by evading
royalty.
Sources said the report has said that of the total ore
exported almost 18-20 million metric tones has been illegally
extracted without proper licences.
The PAC, chaired by Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar
has also recommended that the administrative set up of
Directorate of Mines and Geology needs to be strengthened
immediately by appointing, on deputation, senior officers in
the department to increase its strength and improve its
functioning, they said.
The Committee, it is learnt, has established that lack of
proper records in all probability is done to allow illegal
mining go unchecked.
Sources stated that a detailed external audit is
required to find out the exact data about illegalities as the
figure that were submitted to committee were modified time and
again.
The report has already run into controversy before it was
tabled after ruling party members on the committee refused to
sign the document.
Parrikar said he has already submitted the report to the
Speaker and it is for him to decide on it.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, October 05, 2011, 17:21