The present government had come to power, with promises to take action on the blatant illegalities witnessed during the mining boom period in the run up to the Beijing Olympics and amidst the voracious appetite displayed by the Chinese when they bought any ore that anybody could offer, in their headlong rush to complete infrastructure projects for the Olympics.
Situation as on October 9, 2013
After months of inaction the State Vigilance Department early this week, based on a complaint filed in 2011 by activist Sudip Tamhankar, filed an FIR naming former Chief Ministers Digambar Kamat and Pratapsing Rane from the Congress, senior NCP leader Prafulla Hede, former mines minister Somnath Zuwarkar, former Goa mines directors Arvind Lolienkar and J B Bhingi, former chief conservator of Forests Shashi Kumar and three Goa Mines Department officials.
Illegal mining took place at the Godoavadae Javaichem Upor and Nagonim Buroda concessions, located in close vicinity of the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife sanctuary in Sanguem taluka. The FIR in this connection has been filed under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act alleges.
As of today, Rane is the Opposition leader, and Kamat is an MLA. Thirty five illegal mining cases filed by Tamankar are pending with the Vigilance Department.
Shah report said:
Justice M B Shah Commission, in his voluminous report said that former CM Digambar Kamat, mines secretary Rajeev Yaduvanshi and then mines director Arvind Lolienkar were primarily responsible in allowing the large-scale illegal mining to continue despite being aware of the extent of illegalities between the period 2006-2011.
Only Lolienkar was arrested.
“It is amply clear that the Hon’ble Minister of Mines and Hon’ble Chief Minister were well aware about non-compliance of conditions and other illegalities/irregularities happening in the mining sector,” Shah said. Digambar Kamat was chief minister then. He was also the mines minister from 2000 to 2012.
The report also says that the systems how files moved at the time, suggested that two officials were directly in the path of complicity in the illegal mining controversy.
Rajeev Yaduvanshi, an IAS officer served as mines secretary for the major part of the period from 2006-2011, during which Justice Shah claims a much of Goa’s illegal mining occurred.
Status today: Status Quo
