TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The Goa Police Special Investigation Team is likely to summon officials of Commissionerate of Customs and Central Excise to help in the ongoing illegal mining investigation and is expected to write to them for assistance.
The commissionerate which collects exports duty and tax, had recently mentioned that it has been hard hit by the ban on iron ore mining as their collection slipped by over 70 per cent during the first seven months of the current fiscal.
“The Customs would have records since it collects tax from the mining sector. We will write to the officer concerned to submit those details,” said a senior officer.
The realisation from export duty, which was a major contributor to their revenue, slipped to a meagre Rs 14.85 crore during the seven months period compared to Rs 1,166.63 crore in the same period last fiscal.
Meanwhile, the SIT has questioned retired senior geologist of Mines and Geology Department Hector Fernandes on Thursday. Another assistant geologist officer Ramnath Shetgaonkar was questioned again in the crime branch office at Dona Paula.
Technical assistant Shyam Sawant has been called for questioning again on Monday. The SIT is probing 10 illegal mining scams with another case filed on Tuesday following a complaint filed by Mines Director Prasanna Acharya alleging illegal transport of ore to China from November 12, 2010 to September 22, 2011.
The FIR has the name of suspended Mines Director Arvind Lolienkar who is also named in other FIRs related to illegal mining. As on date, SIT has issued eight summonses and interrogated seven persons including former chief minister Digambar Kamat, Lolienkar and others.
