TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The monitoring committee set up by the Supreme Court and the additional conservator of Forests Dr U V Singh is likely to visit the State next week. The 3-member monitoring committee has been set up by the apex court to quantify the ore at jetties and e-auction them.
The Supreme Court order reads, “… we direct that the inventory of the excavated mineral ores lying in different mines/stockyards/jetties/ports in the State of Goa, made by the Department of Mines and Geology will first be verified and thereafter the whole of the inventorised mineral ores will be sold by e-auction and the sale proceeds (less taxes and royalty) will be retained in separate fixed deposits (lease-wise) by the State of Goa till the Court delivers the judgment in these matters on the legality of the leases from which the mineral ore was extracted.’
According to the apex court, this entire process of verification of the inventory, e-auction and deposit of sale proceeds in fixed deposits will be monitored by a Monitoring Committee, comprising a senior officer of the Mines department nominated by Chief Secretary, Government of Goa, not below the rank of a Joint Secretary to the Government of India; Dr U V Singh, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Karnataka Forest Department, who was a member of the Monitoring Committee for a similar exercise in the case of sale of mineral ores from the State of Karnataka, and Sheikh Naimuddin, Indian Revenue Services (retired) and former member of the Central Board of Direct Taxes and Special Secretary to the Union Government.
Meanwhile, the special investigation team has been perusing the records of the Mines department in a bid to make some sense and also identify companies and/or entities involved in illegal mining.
According to sources, they are likely to issue summons to officials and others involved by next week.
