Team Herald
PORVORIM: MLA Vijai Sardesai on Thursday demanded that Goa government should immediately begin the process to recover loss in revenue due to massive illegal mining.
Speaking during the Demands for Grants on Mining, he sought to know the status of the report submitted by CAs who were roped in to probe the exact loss to the government.
“The govt set up special team to investigate mining scam and even appointed a team of 17CAs to probe the dealings of mines cos indicted for the offence. And what is the status on the recovery of the revenue losses to the State?” he questioned.
Pointing towards the transportation of iron ore by Sesa Goa during the monsoons, he demanded government action. Mining was partially resumed this year after the government imposed a blanket ban on the industry in September 2012, following reports posting out massive illegalities.
While BJP’s Kiran Kandolkar has asked the government to punish the guilty, on sand mining, he urged the State to identify non-controversial alternate locations to conduct activity as some of the present ones have no sand to extract.
Criticising the government over the decline in the economy, the Opposition benches also questioned as to why GSIDC was allotted the works such as cleaning of garbage along the highways. “What is the competency of GSIDC for highway cleaning project?” Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte questioned, alleging that the State is reeling under huge debts. “There is borrowing to pay the borrowings.”
