Illegal mining may lead to closure of legal mines: PAC report

Goa Assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is understood to have expressed fears that if illegal mining in the state is not curbed, even the legal mines here will face closure, highly-placed sources said.

The PAC report, which will be tabled in the House during the Assembly session that begins from today, has reportedly indicted the state government for allegedly encouraging illegal mining.

It is learnt that the report says that illegal mining has resulted in strain on infrastructure, ecology, agriculture and threatens to destroy the water security of the state if it is not controlled immediately.

"During the series of meetings, the PAC observed that the overburden of illegal mining is damaging the prospects of legal mining," the source stated.

The PAC report, which has relied on the data provided by Directorate of Mines and Geology (DOMG) and Forest Department, has calculated that annually around 20 million tonnes of ore is exported from the state.

"The total value of the ore that is mined in violation of the law on Mining and Environment exceeds Rs 4,000 crore annually," the sources stated.

It is learnt that the report has directly indicted politicians and officers from the Mines as well as the Forest Department, including their secretaries and director of Mines Department.

According to sources, the report says that details like involvement of  politicians, quantum of illegalities and financial transactions, etc. Can only be known after a thorough investigation.

The report is understood to have recommended that an independent agency like CBI or Lokayukta be asked to probe into illegal mining nexus being carried out in connivance of local politicians, bureaucrats of the Mines and Forest departments and police force.