When Karnataka's Lokayukta Mr. Santosh Hegde submitted his report on corruption and illegal mining Congress party at the center made sure that BJP CM B S Yedurappa was sacked and the all powerfull Reddy brothers are sent to jail. What will the local ruling congress party and the center in Goa do now. The Public Accounts Committee of Goa has given its indictment and very shortly Justice Shah of the Shah Commission will give his ruling. Goa's politicians are now making headlines on national televisions for shameful acts. Read below the latest on NDTV.
Goa's Public Accounts Committee indicts ministers for illegal mining in the state
NDTV Correspondent, Updated: September 25, 2011 19:28 IST
Panaji: After Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh another mining scam is all set to rock Goa.
The Public Accounts Committee of Goa headed by Goa's opposition leader Manohar Parrikar has indicted Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat in his report.
Says Parrikar ''Iron ore was exported evading royalty to the state government. The Public Accounts Committe is probing to see if these were extracted from illegal mines. We are also probing to see if they were extracted without environmental clearances
Mr Parrikar says that in the last five years iron ore worth about Rs. 3,500 crore has been exported without paying any royalty to the state government.
The report will be tabled on October 5, the first day of the legislative assembly session. It also indicts other ministers like Goa's Health Minister Vishwajit Rane and Urban Development Minister Joaquim Alemao.
The report also indicts the Goa Home Minister Ravi Naik's son Roy Naik and the Goa Congress president Subhash Shirodkar
Forwarded by: Xavier Furtado,
AVC - Kuwait.
September 26, 2011
ILLEGALITIES AND NOT IRREGULARITIES MR. SHIRODKAR.
Illegalities And Not Irregularities Mr. Shirodkar
We had heard that there were no drugs, no corruption and no illegal mining in Goa, for all that matters it’s been proved that there are drugs in Goa, along with corruption and illegal mining, now out comes Mr. Subhsah Shirodkar and goes a little further, categorically stating that none of the Congress members, nor the Government of Goa is involved in illegal mining but how is it that illegal mining still flourishes in Goa, Mr Shirodkar ? Is it not the Congress that is the government in Goa or are we in Karnataka ? If Mr. Subhash Shirodkar is right, which is highly unlikely, but even then, is it not the duty of the ruling government to stop illegal mining and illegal sale of ore and take action against those involved in it ? So why has the Congress failed to do what they should have been doing in the first place ? Mr. Shirodkar should certainly put money where his mouth is !
It is proved beyond doubt that there is large scale illegal mining in Goa and a huge amount of unaccounted ore has been exported, costing the Goan treasury thousands of crores, as has been identified and acknowledged by Justice Shah, so, is it not the responsibility of the Government, to see that the exchequer is not robbed of it’s valuable resources ? If Congress, the ruling dispensation in Goa is not able to safe guard our valuable resources, what right does it have to stay in power ? If the ruling Government cannot protect and safeguard what belongs to all Goans they should resign, because we Goans have been deprived of the benefits that we were due for, only because of the Congress inefficiency and greed.
Chief Minister Digambar Kamat has been the minister for mines for around a decade, should he not be held responsible for the loot of our precious resources ? There is absolutely no doubt that all most all Congress as well as the other MLA’s are involved in illegal mining one way or the other but have covered their tracks well but truth cannot be kept hidden forever. One has already seen the back of the cage because of illegal mining and the rest will sooner or later be in a similar position. If not for personally being involved, which is highly unlikely, they should be locked in the cage for negligence that has cost the exchequer huge sums of money.
Mining in Goa is a multimillion dollars industry, a legacy of the Portuguese. God or Nature, as one believes, was generous enough to Goans to fill it’s underbelly with rich ore, for the sustenance of it’s inhabitants. Unfortunately a few elite have hijacked this multimillion dollar industry and gone on rampage for their own personal financial enhancement, leaving the inhabitants in a limbo and in dire state, as our environment and our ecology is devastated by large scale and illegal mining. Agriculture as well as both human and animal live has been affected by the receding water tables and high levels of pollutions causing severe health problems, which has now led to dissent and opposition everywhere in Goa.
Studies have shown that if atrocities against our environment and ecology are not stopped and remedial steps not taken now, we are bound to pay a very heavy price, in the very near future. It is indeed difficult to understand the apathy of our government towards our environment and our ecology and the failure to comprehend the dangers inherent in excessive mining, as we have already experienced, though mild, the wroth of nature on more than one occasion. We should not be playing with nature, a slight imbalance could cause havoc with life and property, nature, should not be taken for granted just because we are yet to see the full force of the fury of nature, it is certainly better to be safe than sorry and this fear certainly not fictional.
Mr. Shriodkar tries to highlight the differences between illegalities and irregularities which is indeed amusing, should irregularities be condoned or forgiven ? Mr. Shirodkar’s argument clearly exposes his malafide intent, to twist facts and words to benefit himself and his fellow party men. Mining without a NOC from the environmental agency or any other required bodies is an irregularity or an illegality ? There are documents that are a prerequisite before starting a mine and lack of any of these documents make the mine illegal and for the kind information of Mr. Shirodkar there is certainly a very vast difference between irregularities and illegalities and mining without any of these prerequisite documents is an illegality and not an irregularity. I am sure most of Mr. Shidorkar’s political colleagues will be confused with the difference between irregularities and illegalities but certainly not us.
Can Mr. Subhash Shirodkar justify more than 400 mines in a small state like Goa ? No doubt mining contributes a major chunk to the Goan coffers but there in no doubt that what actually comes to the State’s coffers in just peanuts compared to what goes in to the pockets of those involved in mining ? So why should a few benefit while the people at large and the land suffers ? It is also true that no amount of money can justify nor compensate the destruction of our environment and our ecology because our very own survival depends or rather the survival of humanity depends very much on the survival of our environment and our ecology. The question now is, does Mr. Subhash Shirodkar know this fact and wise enough to accept it ? Only time will tell !
Freddy Agnelo Fernandes.
We had heard that there were no drugs, no corruption and no illegal mining in Goa, for all that matters it’s been proved that there are drugs in Goa, along with corruption and illegal mining, now out comes Mr. Subhsah Shirodkar and goes a little further, categorically stating that none of the Congress members, nor the Government of Goa is involved in illegal mining but how is it that illegal mining still flourishes in Goa, Mr Shirodkar ? Is it not the Congress that is the government in Goa or are we in Karnataka ? If Mr. Subhash Shirodkar is right, which is highly unlikely, but even then, is it not the duty of the ruling government to stop illegal mining and illegal sale of ore and take action against those involved in it ? So why has the Congress failed to do what they should have been doing in the first place ? Mr. Shirodkar should certainly put money where his mouth is !
It is proved beyond doubt that there is large scale illegal mining in Goa and a huge amount of unaccounted ore has been exported, costing the Goan treasury thousands of crores, as has been identified and acknowledged by Justice Shah, so, is it not the responsibility of the Government, to see that the exchequer is not robbed of it’s valuable resources ? If Congress, the ruling dispensation in Goa is not able to safe guard our valuable resources, what right does it have to stay in power ? If the ruling Government cannot protect and safeguard what belongs to all Goans they should resign, because we Goans have been deprived of the benefits that we were due for, only because of the Congress inefficiency and greed.
Chief Minister Digambar Kamat has been the minister for mines for around a decade, should he not be held responsible for the loot of our precious resources ? There is absolutely no doubt that all most all Congress as well as the other MLA’s are involved in illegal mining one way or the other but have covered their tracks well but truth cannot be kept hidden forever. One has already seen the back of the cage because of illegal mining and the rest will sooner or later be in a similar position. If not for personally being involved, which is highly unlikely, they should be locked in the cage for negligence that has cost the exchequer huge sums of money.
Mining in Goa is a multimillion dollars industry, a legacy of the Portuguese. God or Nature, as one believes, was generous enough to Goans to fill it’s underbelly with rich ore, for the sustenance of it’s inhabitants. Unfortunately a few elite have hijacked this multimillion dollar industry and gone on rampage for their own personal financial enhancement, leaving the inhabitants in a limbo and in dire state, as our environment and our ecology is devastated by large scale and illegal mining. Agriculture as well as both human and animal live has been affected by the receding water tables and high levels of pollutions causing severe health problems, which has now led to dissent and opposition everywhere in Goa.
Studies have shown that if atrocities against our environment and ecology are not stopped and remedial steps not taken now, we are bound to pay a very heavy price, in the very near future. It is indeed difficult to understand the apathy of our government towards our environment and our ecology and the failure to comprehend the dangers inherent in excessive mining, as we have already experienced, though mild, the wroth of nature on more than one occasion. We should not be playing with nature, a slight imbalance could cause havoc with life and property, nature, should not be taken for granted just because we are yet to see the full force of the fury of nature, it is certainly better to be safe than sorry and this fear certainly not fictional.
Mr. Shriodkar tries to highlight the differences between illegalities and irregularities which is indeed amusing, should irregularities be condoned or forgiven ? Mr. Shirodkar’s argument clearly exposes his malafide intent, to twist facts and words to benefit himself and his fellow party men. Mining without a NOC from the environmental agency or any other required bodies is an irregularity or an illegality ? There are documents that are a prerequisite before starting a mine and lack of any of these documents make the mine illegal and for the kind information of Mr. Shirodkar there is certainly a very vast difference between irregularities and illegalities and mining without any of these prerequisite documents is an illegality and not an irregularity. I am sure most of Mr. Shidorkar’s political colleagues will be confused with the difference between irregularities and illegalities but certainly not us.
Can Mr. Subhash Shirodkar justify more than 400 mines in a small state like Goa ? No doubt mining contributes a major chunk to the Goan coffers but there in no doubt that what actually comes to the State’s coffers in just peanuts compared to what goes in to the pockets of those involved in mining ? So why should a few benefit while the people at large and the land suffers ? It is also true that no amount of money can justify nor compensate the destruction of our environment and our ecology because our very own survival depends or rather the survival of humanity depends very much on the survival of our environment and our ecology. The question now is, does Mr. Subhash Shirodkar know this fact and wise enough to accept it ? Only time will tell !
Freddy Agnelo Fernandes.
September 25, 2011
GOA MINING SCAM.
Politics News Updated Sep 25, 2011 at 08:29am IST
Goa mining scam lands state Govt in trouble
CNN-IBN.
Panaji: After Bellary, now it is Goa where Rs 8000-crore iron-ore mining scam has landed the state government in trouble.
Environmentalists and the Opposition have alleged that Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, also in-charge of the state mining ministry, colluded with the illegal mining firms.
They said that Kamat turned a blind eye to virtual iron ore loot in the state running into a whopping Rs 8,000 crore.
"It is exactly similar to Bellary's situation. The Chief Minster is involved as he is the minister of mines also for last 11 years. The friends of the CM are involved because it is only happening on friendship bases and the forest department is involved, department of mines is involved," said Claud Alvares, an activist.
Here are some of the glaring violations:
- Environmental clearance limit for the Vedanta-owned Sesa Goa Ltd's three mines was two lakh tonnes annually. However, in 2006, it extracted 8 lakh tonnes.
Similarly, VM Salgaocar & Brothers Pvt Ltd was permitted to extract 16.92 lakh tonnes from its four mines. But since 2006, the company extracted almost 27 lakh tonnes.
- Environmental clearance limit for VM Salgaocar & Brothers Pvt Ltd's four mines was 16.92 lakh tonnes annually, but since 2006, it extracted 26.92 lakh tonnes.
Another company, VS Dempo, had permission to extract 11 lakh tonnes from its three mines, but it extracted over 20 lakh tonnes in 2008.
The list goes on as 48 of the 92 mining companies have flouted norms and over 90 lakh tonnes worth several hundred crore has been illegally mined in the last four years alone.
"The situation in Goa is not as bad as Karnataka and Andhra," said Goa Congress chief Subhash Shirodkar.
In fact, the Goa Port, which is the country's largest exporter port of iron ore, alerted the government of illegal export of at least five million tonnes from Panaji.
The Mineral Ore Exporters Association also claimed that most of the exporters were not even registered, but the government did nothing.
With the stink of the multi-thousand crore scam spreading fast and a scathing Public Accounts Committee report likely to be tabled in the Goa Assembly in early October, the state Chief Minister finds himself on a minefield of allegations, quite literally.
Forwarded by: Xavier Furtado,
AVC - Kuwait.
Goa mining scam lands state Govt in trouble
CNN-IBN.
Panaji: After Bellary, now it is Goa where Rs 8000-crore iron-ore mining scam has landed the state government in trouble.
Environmentalists and the Opposition have alleged that Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, also in-charge of the state mining ministry, colluded with the illegal mining firms.
They said that Kamat turned a blind eye to virtual iron ore loot in the state running into a whopping Rs 8,000 crore.
"It is exactly similar to Bellary's situation. The Chief Minster is involved as he is the minister of mines also for last 11 years. The friends of the CM are involved because it is only happening on friendship bases and the forest department is involved, department of mines is involved," said Claud Alvares, an activist.
Here are some of the glaring violations:
- Environmental clearance limit for the Vedanta-owned Sesa Goa Ltd's three mines was two lakh tonnes annually. However, in 2006, it extracted 8 lakh tonnes.
Similarly, VM Salgaocar & Brothers Pvt Ltd was permitted to extract 16.92 lakh tonnes from its four mines. But since 2006, the company extracted almost 27 lakh tonnes.
- Environmental clearance limit for VM Salgaocar & Brothers Pvt Ltd's four mines was 16.92 lakh tonnes annually, but since 2006, it extracted 26.92 lakh tonnes.
Another company, VS Dempo, had permission to extract 11 lakh tonnes from its three mines, but it extracted over 20 lakh tonnes in 2008.
The list goes on as 48 of the 92 mining companies have flouted norms and over 90 lakh tonnes worth several hundred crore has been illegally mined in the last four years alone.
"The situation in Goa is not as bad as Karnataka and Andhra," said Goa Congress chief Subhash Shirodkar.
In fact, the Goa Port, which is the country's largest exporter port of iron ore, alerted the government of illegal export of at least five million tonnes from Panaji.
The Mineral Ore Exporters Association also claimed that most of the exporters were not even registered, but the government did nothing.
With the stink of the multi-thousand crore scam spreading fast and a scathing Public Accounts Committee report likely to be tabled in the Goa Assembly in early October, the state Chief Minister finds himself on a minefield of allegations, quite literally.
Forwarded by: Xavier Furtado,
AVC - Kuwait.
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