The Justice MB Shah Commission report had alleged illegal mining to the tune of Rs 35,000 cr and till today no action is forthcoming on the revelations of the meticulously prepared and exhaustive investigation into illegal mining in Goa suspected to involve chief minister at that time as well as many of his cohorts should not become only an investigation of academic value but one which should be implementable. It was noticed during that period that the earnings per share of one of the foremost mining companies was to the extent of Rs 150 to Rs 200 of earnings per share which in itself indicated the extent of mining but which the MB Shah report later found that over and above gross illegalities were perpetrated by the mining companies operating in Goa.
Our sympathies and empathy reach out to those who were made pawns in this organised loot without accountability. What we have to keep in mind is that these companies and a few individuals extorted the mining loot and made themselves rich at the cost of the central and State exchequers. Also what was noticed was the rampant destruction of the environment without sparing even our fertile verdant fields which then became uncultivable. Also there is a danger to the Wild Life Sanctuaries and the National Parks as these wild life areas abound in exotic flora and especially fauna which will be disturbed and altered. The buffer zone of the areas which is Wild Life Sanctuaries and National Parks have to be demarcated so as to protect our wild life. Also the quality of the ores as specified by ISO, Bureau of Indian Standards and Indian Standards Institute have to be ascertained. The quantity of ores have to be measured so that illegalities do not occur again. In this light it is sought that a Supreme Court of India mandated panel of experts should oversee the resumption of mining so that technically, chemically, geologically and scientific means should only be explored to resume mining in the State. Also a large part of the monies earned by the companies should go towards a Permanent Fund which will then be a trust which can be relied upon in case of an emergency. It would be suggested that a mining dividend be given every year to every individual that is a registered resident of Goa so that the proceeds of mining is shared by the Goans. It would also be in the fitness of things to be able to formulate a road map for the use of the exhausted mines either for rain water harvesting or for restoration by plantation of trees and thus the greening of Goa. To save the environment from destruction, mining should be conducted in a step by step manner and under the aegis of the Supreme Court of India who should maintain a round the clock vigil to prevent illegalities. There should be transparency in the conduct of mining activities so that it can be assured that legal mining only take place in Goa.
Pollution due to flying of mineral dust should also be curtailed by securing the trucks with tarpaulins when transportation of the ore is done. Also speed limits of the trucks carrying ores should be imposed so that accidents do not take place when the ores are being transported. The common wealth of the people of Goa should be maintained so that everyone becomes a shareholder in the mining wealth of Goa.
