The Opposition created a stir in the Goa Legislative Assembly on Friday, storming the well of the House over the government’s failure to recover over Rs 4,000 crore in green cess, a major share of which is from a coal handling company operating at Mormugao Port.
Chanting ‘Amka Kolso Naka’ (‘We don’t want coal’), the Opposition members disrupted proceedings, prompting Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar to adjourn the House for 10 minutes. This marked the third time in the ongoing monsoon session that Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao raised the issue.
Alemao alleged that M/s South West Port Ltd (SWPL) had handled coal far in excess of the limits approved by the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB). He pointed out that the late Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had written to the Union Environment Ministry requesting denial of environmental clearance (EC) for the company’s proposed expansion at Berths 5A and 6A of the port. Despite this, the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) recommended the grant of EC between 2014 and 2016.
Responding to the allegations, Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira admitted to violations by SWPL. He said the file has been referred to the Advocate General for legal opinion. “I agree with the figures you’ve mentioned. Mormugao Port Authority allowed increased coal imports, but GSPCB has not approved any such increase. Consent to operate was issued in December 2004. We had asked them to implement control measures like dome construction and use of a bypass road,” he said.
The Minister claimed pollution levels in Vasco have since declined and promised accurate figures in the next Assembly session. He acknowledged that the government had initially consulted a lawyer who advised that the GSPCB file an appeal against a High Court order in the matter. However, the then GSPCB chairman chose not to proceed. A second legal opinion later deemed that after two years, it may be too late for a successful appeal. The conflicting views prompted the government to escalate the matter to the Advocate General, whose advice is awaited.
Alemao further alleged that SWPL was authorised to handle 5 million tonnes of coal but exceeded that limit repeatedly — handling 6.89 MT in one year, 8 lakh MT in 2014–15, and nearly 10 lakh MT in 2015–16.
He also claimed that the company has not paid any green cess since 2013, adding that the government’s inaction — particularly its failure to challenge the High Court order in time — has helped the company evade payment. “The total green cess dues are approximately Rs 4,000 crore,” Alemao charged.