The year 2017 remained tough for the former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat due to illegal mining scam probe while it was also tough for the current Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to start the legal mining due to striking truckers.
Kamat’s role is being probed in the illegal mining extraction that took place during his tenure as a chief minister, who also held the mining portfolio. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Crime Branch was formed to probe the mining scam has even tried to arrest Kamat, luckily he escaped and following day an interim relief was granted by court in the anticipatory bail application filed by him.
The ex chief minister’s role is being investigated in two mining cases that is condonation of delay in Mollem Praful Hede’s mining case and main mining case of Rs 35,000 crore lose to the State exchequer due to illegal mining.
The entire year Kamat remained busy in the investigation and court avoiding being in custody.
Presently, SIT has submitted in the court that 48 hours notice will be served to former chief minister in case of arrest.
In Praful Hede’s case, Kamat, his son Yogiraj and brother-in-law Satish Lawande was grilled by SIT to find out the illegally-secured wealth by Kamat. The case was filed in September 2014 against mine owner Prafulla Hede for condonation of delay in mining lease located at Collem.
Justice M B Shah Commission, which had investigated the mining scam, had observed that several mining companies were allowed to fraudulently use the clause of condonation of delay for renewal of their leases.
Kamat was first questioned in the case by the SIT in February 2014 and later it started in April this year, while former Mines Director Arvind Lolienkar was arrested in the same case in the year 2012.
According to the report of Justice (retd) M B Shah Commission, illegal mining to the tune of Rs 35,000 crore took place in the state of Goa from 2005 to 2012 when the Supreme Court banned iron ore extraction in the state.
On the other, hand Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had to personally intervene along with all the mining area MLAs, to resolve the truckers’ issue to start the legal mining operations in the State.
Truckers strike held up transportation of ore, due to their pending demands to increase the transportation rates. The strikes were seen in Sakhalim, Bicholim and Sanguem taluka.
However, after great difficulties and negotiations with the truckers and mining companies Chief Minister had resolved the issues to start legal mining.
On the whole, the year 2017 remained tough for the mining industry in Goa.
