TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Goa Police today registered an FIR post a preliminary inquiry against former Congress minister Joaquim Alemao and former Independent MLA from Savordem Anil Salgaonkar in an illegal mining case.
The SIT, headed by DIG K K Vyas is investigating over a dozen illegal mining cases involving former Congress ministers, politicians, bureaucrats, majority mining lease holders and others. Several persons including former Mines Director Arvind Lolienkar have been arrested since the investigation into all cases began a year ago.
The duo are to be questioned for alleged illegalities under various relevant sections of Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act and Forest Conservation Act, 1980.
The case pertains to a complaint filed by Mines Director Prasanna Acharya accusing S Kantilal and Co Ltd of carrying out illegal mining and ore extraction, supported by a monitoring committee report in the year 2009. It was headed by Conservator of Forests.
The mining lease at Sanguem had Salgaonkar as its director and Alemao as the raising contractor. “The company allegedly did not have all the requisite permissions to carry out the mining activity and ore extraction,” a senior officer said. Other officials associated with the company have also been charged with the alleged offense.
The complaint has been supported by PAC, Supreme Court’s CEC and Shah Commission reports.
Terming the move against him as politically motivated, former Urban Development Minister, Joaquim Alemao has said that he has full faith in the judiciary and will come out clean on the issue.
He also demanded to know why the SIT has not lodged FIR against people like Praful Hede and Subhash Shirodkar whose names were also doing the rounds in the last three years.
“Will SIT will lodge FIR against all the 1000 sub-contractors working in the mining industry”, he asked.
