Goa government will recover within six months the revenue loss to the tune of Rs 2,747 crore, caused due to illegal mining in the state, as mentioned in the third report of the Justice M B Shah Commission.
"Justice M B Shah has said that the total revenue loss is Rs 2,747 crore. I will recover this revenue in next six months. This money would be brought into the state treasury," state Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told the Legislative Assembly today while responding to the cut motion moved by opposition parties on demands of grants for Mining Department.
"If the state government has to recover (losses) then we will have to find out who were involved in illegalities," he said.
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Explaining the steps taken by the state government in this regard, Parrikar said, "we have appointed 17 chartered accountants who will go through transactions of mining leases and some traders in next two-three months, and will submit their report. After going through the report, we will be able to know who were involved in illegalities."
The Chief Minister also announced that mining leases in Goa would start by October this year after the mining policy is notified by September 15.
"The Assembly will discuss the draft mining policy guidelines in the current session on August 18. The exercise to form the policy would be over by October and only after that we will be able to give the mining leases," he added.
Quoting the Supreme Court decision, Parrikar said the ban on the mining can be lifted only after state government decides its policy on the leases.
He also ruled out auctioning of leases claiming that "it might attract mafias."
Parrikar said the state government will not take over the mining leases as it will result into inefficiency and corruption.
The chief minister told the Assembly that he would be posting an officer from Vigilance Department in Directorate of Mining to help them in detecting illegal mining cases.
Parrikar also announced financial help for those impacted by the closure of mining activity in the state.
"The truck owners will get help of up to Rs 15 lakh by paying 30 per cent of their loan, if they go for one-time settlement. The state government will give 35 per cent of one-time settlement amount of the barge and machinery owners. While up to Rs 20 lakh would be given to machinery owners, Rs 35 lakh for the barge owners," he added.
