TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Going through the action taken report tabled before Parliament and given that most of the recommendations of the Justice MB Shah Commission of Inquiry are for the state government, it is surprising to state that the State has one standard answer to everything: Appropriate action will be taken as per law after following principles of natural justice of hearing the parties concerned as the same has not been followed by the Commission.
This was the same reply given by the government even to the Apex court in the writ petition asking for action against alleged illegal mining and miners in the State. The Shah report had said that any quantity of ore extracted beyond the annual permitted quantity was unlawful and without authority. Further, any quantity extracted and dispatched without paying royalty was also illegal and blamed the illegalities in connivance with the mines department officials, politicians and business.
The government’s only positive response was that it had decided to set up two new offices to strengthen regulatory functions and strengthen the department by deploying additional staff for effective checking, auditing and regulating mining activities in the State.
This was in response to the Shah Commission’s recommendation that the mines department needs to be strengthened immediately by appointing on deputation or recruitment senior officers to increase its strength and improve its functioning.
The commission also recommended that the department should be headed
by senior bureaucrat preferably with legal and mining knowledge.
