PANJIM: The State government’s failure to nab over 300 errant traders involved in illegal mining, has resulted in the panel of chartered accountants (CAs) probing the financial transactions of mining firms being unable to ascertain the exact loss to the State exchequer, arising from illegal mining.
According to sources the loss the CAs were able to determine amounts to only Rs 200 crore viz a viz the Shah Commission reports and the public accounts committee’s estimated losses of thousands of crores, leaving the government open to allegations of a cover-up.
Sources said the panel has unearthed a loss of only around Rs 200 crore through illegal mining, as against the claim of Justice M B Shah Commission which put the figure at Rs 35,000 crore. The figures also do not match with the findings of public accounts committee (PAC) report, drafted by then Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar, that had reported Rs 3000 to 5000 crore losses.
The Principal Secretary Mines Pawan Kumar Sain Monday evening held a review meeting on the progress of the CAs’ report. The meeting was attended by the Mines Department officials, lease holders and CAs.
Sources revealed that not all lease holders have submitted details about their financial transaction to the CAs, who have been asked to submit their report in phased manner, with the last date being April 15. “Of the total 460 traders, only 70-80 traders submitted their details. Hence the CAs are not able to quantify the exact loss due to illegal mining,” sources said.
“Over 80 per cent traders were non-Goan and were involved in major illegalities,” sources added.
The State government had in 2012 suspended the licences of all 460 traders for revalidating them. During the course of action, it was revealed that over 300 traders were illegally operating in the State. The issue is currently pending before the Special Investigating Team (SIT) for investigations.
The issue of illegal traders came to light after it was observed that 63 traders were involved in export of 7 MMT of illegal ore for financial year 2011-12. In a bid to identify the exact loss to the State due to illegal mining and recover the same, the Government had last year appointed a panel of 17 CAs, who are going into the details about the iron ore extracted and exported between 2005 and 2012. The details such as production, export, purchase of ore, domestic sale, iron ore storage rather than at mining site, opening and closing stock, etc are been studied by the CAs.
