Panaji, Goa: The Goa government has said that all illegal mines in the state will be shut down after the committee submits its report.
"We will shut down all illegal mines after the committee submits its report," said Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat.
The Goa government finally took action against illegal mining in the state; pushed to the wall by protests of the opposition through the monsoon session, activism of citizens and a crucial report that shows at least 35 per cent of Goa's mining activity is illegal. The violation could be more.
The inquiry committee headed by the Chief Forest Conservator inspected 48 of the 105 mines in Goa and found 36 of them running on leases that have expired.
And these are the biggest violators:
- V S Dempo & Company Private Limited: Lease expired on November 21, 2007
- Salgaocar Mining Industries: Lease expired on November 21, 2007
- Sociedade de Fomento Industrial Private Limited: Lease expired on November 21, 2007
- Rajaram Bandekar (Sirigao Mines) Private Limited: Lease expired on November 21, 2007
- Jitendra Deshprabhu: Mined 6 tonnes iron ore on his own land without authorisation
Thirteen of the inspected mines are located in the wildlife sanctuaries of western Ghats considered one of the best biodiversity spots in the world.
Hence, they violate the Wildlife Protection Act. The committee has said that these licenses should not be renewed.
Mining in Goa is mainly extraction of manganese, iron and bauxite ore. It exports 33 million tonnes of ore every year primarily to China and Japan and earns about Rs 6,000 crore.
Here too, the government has admitted that there is a 18 per cent gap in the amount of ore exported and the tax paid on it.
Gross violations that activists say would not have been possible if the Goa government was not hand-in-glove with the mining lobby. Allegations that have to be backed on paper. For now, the government already has enough of a mess to clean up.