CM pegs illegal mining losses at Rs 3000 to Rs 4000 cr
Team Herald
PORVORIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday pegged the exact losses due to illegal mining from 2007 to 2012 as between Rs 3000 to Rs 4000 cr. Parrikar also said that the government has already recovered approximately Rs 300 cr and will try to recover the maximum possible.
The Chief Minister addressed the media to clarify his reply in the House on mining and said that the Chartered Accountants teams and the Special Investigation Team will find out the exact losses to the State.
“The Shah Commission report said there were losses of Rs 35,000 cr to the State due to illegal mining and I said today it was around Rs 100 to 150 cr but my answer was to a particular matter,” Parrikar said. He clarified that the Shah Commission said that some companies had illegally mined outside the mining leases 578 hectares.
“Shah Commission surveyed with hand-held equipments, which could err by 300 to 400 meters and hence Mines Department did a foolproof survey and we came to the conclusion that it was not 578 hectares but only 10 hectares,” Parrikar stated, adding that the rest of the area is within the lease area.
He said that the reply in the Assembly was about technically correcting the Shah Commission report in that particular matter.
“This does not mean loss is just Rs 100 cr. I also said that Rs 300 cr already recovered. If loss is 100 cr how can I recover Rs 300 cr? Losses were also due to dump mining at that time, export figures do not match and I had given a PAC report of Rs 3000 to 3500 cr losses to government and that was correct,” he said.
Parrikar said after he became CM he appointed 22 teams of Chartered Accountants who went through documents and have found losses around Rs 1500 to Rs 2000 cr. “Based on those documents (by CAs) Mines Department has issued notices and the companies have replied, these are being studied and based on that final losses will be estimated,” he explained.
Besides, the CM continued, some of the losses are being tackled by SIT but some losses may not br recoverable as many of the people involved are absconding.
“SIT has chargesheeted eight cases and is in the final stage for five to sixcases. So SIT and CA teams will together estimate the total losses which according to me is 3,000 to 4 000 cr,” he stated.
Parrikar also said that before announcing the losses he will hear the people involved. “You have to hear the people, unless that is done the same court which asked you to recover will stop recovery. Once that is done recovery will start immediately,” the chief minister said.
