State should've been heard before SC decided on ban: Manohar Parrikar

Interview with Chief Minister, Goa

The country’s second-largest iron-ore producing state, Goa, is facing a historic crisis after allegations of large-scale illegal mining. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who assumed office in March, tells Sudheer Pal Singh and Gyan Varma how his attempts at course correction are being hindered by the Supreme Court-appointed probe panel.

How do you view the current mining mess in Goa?
The state is on the right track, except for the mining problem. Goa might be suffering more than the other states, but this issue is plaguing the entire country because of non-governance, and the fact that the government’s job is being done by the courts. In any case, one cannot blame the politicians alone. The judiciary has failed because delayed justice leads to the absence of clear guidelines. For example, in the buffer zone issue on Goa mining, I entirely agree with the environment ministry’s stand that identifying buffer zones for mines is the ministry’s job, and not of the central empowered committee (CEC).

How does CEC evaluate the mining situation?
The Supreme Court asked CEC to prepare a preliminary report in four weeks. It is trying to conduct almost an expansive research on the same. I have no objections to it. But the state department has been helping it out for the last two-and-a-half months now. Goa’s principal secretary of mines is not able to attend to any other work. Why am I being punished for mistakes of the previous government? In fact, I stopped mining much before the Supreme Court did.

You pointed out illegal mining in Goa in a public accounts committee (PAC) report last year. Nine months have passed since you took over as chief minister and yet you have not acted upon it. Why?
First, I did not act on the report because it was not officially accepted until October. Second, if I had acted on it, there would have been allegations that I am trying to put people, who are politically against me, into trouble. So, I waited till the Shah Commission report was out.

The commission report came on September 7. On September 10, an order was issued at around 3 pm that all mining in Goa should be stopped. Immediately, within two days, another order was issued that all the movement of ore should be stopped, too. In such circumstances, wouldn’t it have been better if the Supreme Court had heard me before its interim order? It’s a serious matter and the state should have been heard.

Did CEC meet you before submitting its report on December 7?
No, it did not.

So, what is your problem with CEC’s involvement?
The Constitution has given me the job of administering this state. I have been given the mandate by the people, based on this very issue. So, allow me to do my job.

If I fail, hold me responsible and send me to jail. You cannot take over my job. If someone tries to upsurge my power, I will not accept it. Who will respond to the people who are now in a financial mess? Bank loans of over Rs 2,000 crore are stuck now. Around four cooperative banks will collapse if this situation continues for another three or four months.

Nobody intervened at the time of the last government. And, now, when I am trying to clean up this mess, all these issues are being raised.

I had already formed a committee, with chartered accountants, to get into the details. I finished writing the PAC report in one year and five months. I exactly know the situation in Goa and I can correct it. So, I will not allow mining to start again, until I am satisfied.

I am not defying the court. I am saying it is my job and I will do it properly. But let the government be run by the government, and not by non-governmental organisations. I am accountable to the people and to the court. I will withdraw my order only when I am satisfied that we are in a position to do controlled, legal mining — which is not damaging the environment, too.

Is it likely that former chief ministers Digambar Kamat and Pratapsingh Rane are named in the FIRs (first-information reports) to be registered in this case?
It is absolutely likely because the Shah Commission report indicates one by name and the other by post. So, the condonation of delay (in lease renewal) granted by the previous governments in 42 cases was illegal. They had no power to do so. The same point was brought out clearly in the PAC report. We are already processing this matter. Had it not been for CEC taking our time, we would have registered FIRs by now. But there are many other cases where investigation needs to be done.

Do you expect political trouble if FIRs are registered against the former chief ministers?
There is no question of any political trouble for me. The Opposition was reduced to single digit of strength in the last Assembly elections. They were ruling for many years. But for the first time, the Congress came down to single digit, and we got a majority in the state.

I am not the only one saying the Congress is responsible for illegalities. Both Shah Commission and CEC have raised fingers at the party. So, there is nothing wrong if an investigation is carried out.

The Shah Commission has calculated the value of the illegally-mined iron ore in the state at Rs 35,000 crore, and the industry has raised questions over the estimate. What does your estimate say?
I think the statement by the Shah Commission is very casual. It has errors. But Justice Shah has clarified in the report that the exact value of the loss will have to be ascertained after doing 3D-mapping and surveys. The data also depends heavily on the accuracy of the instrument used to mark lease boundaries. But I agree that there has been quite a loss.

It will be some time before mining is finally resumed in the state. In the interim, what are you doing to offset the impact of the loss of royalty to the state government?
We are tightening the leakages in our system. We are trying to spruce up revenue from sectors other than mining. And that is happening. This is despite the fact that I rolled back the petrol price rise done earlier in the state. The plugging of leakages has led to a 13 per cent growth in the state’s revenue this year. The state’s expenditure has fallen 25-30 per cent because the tenders being floated now are attracting low bids. This is because there were kickbacks in earlier tenders. In many cases, I have got bids for tenders lowered by up to 25 per cent. So, with both revenue going up and expenditure coming down, there would be no problem on finances.

There have been corruption allegations against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Nitin Gadkari, too. Should he get a second term as the president of the party?
Would Sonia Gandhi and her team keep quiet if he would have done anything wrong? They would have sent him to jail by now.

Do you think it is merely a coincidence that all the principal mining states are run by the BJP?
Is there no illegality in Rajasthan where a lot of marble is mined? Similarly, mining happens in Haryana, too.