In a heated session on Wednesday, Opposition members engaged in a debate with Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant regarding the pressing mining issue. The focus of the discussion revolved around concerns raised by Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa, who questioned the government’s adherence to the guidelines and terms outlined in the Mineral (Auction) Rules of 2015. D’Costa sought clarity on how the Reserves of each Mining Block are determined and expressed reservations about defaulters being allowed to re-enter the bidding process without fulfilling recovery obligations. Notably, the residents of Shirgao and Mulgao also expressed apprehensions about the implications of the New Mining Blocks and urged the government to take measures to safeguard the interests of the local villagers.
Addressing the matter further, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Yuri Alemao criticized the government’s allocation of mining blocks, alleging a lack of thorough study in the decision-making process. Alemao highlighted the misleading nature of the quantum quantity presented by the government, which he argued has led to substantial revenue losses for the state. The LoP also pointed out that certain companies, owing a significant amount to the state, were granted bidding privileges, raising questions about the rationale behind such decisions. Alemao emphasized that these companies were, in fact, defaulters of the State.
In response, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant defended the government’s actions by noting that a recovery of Rs 80 crore has been successfully completed thus far. He acknowledged that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) is in the final stages of addressing pending recovery cases. CM Sawant also clarified that the current mining scenario has been regulated by the Supreme Court, allowing an annual mining quota of 20 million tonnes. He further emphasized that royalties will be calculated based on the quantity of ore extracted and the average grade of 55 Fe.
