GCCI wants mine owners to cough up for illegalities

Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) today said that money should be recovered from mine owners who have defrauded the state exchequer by indulging in illegal practices.
"If something has to be recovered, it should be recovered," GCCI president Manguirish Pai Raikar told reporters today while briefing about the pre-budget memorandum to the state government.
"Once the money is recovered, it should be invested in creating infrastructure like health and education for those people who have suffered because of the mining industry, Raikar said.
The GCCI president was responding to a question about the recovery of Rs 3,200 crore from mine owners, which is mentioned in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report tabled by Manohar Parrikar during the erstwhile Digambar Kamat-led government.

The state government has already constituted the Justice R M Khandeparkar committee, which will go through the details of illegalities by mine owners, Raikar said.
To a question on whether the the GCCI wants action even at the cost of its members, he said, "Anything illegal will not be supported by the chamber."

Once legal mining starts in Goa, it will amount to only 40 per cent of the current mining leases, he said.
"Even when regulated and legal mining begins, we expect the volumes to be less than 40 per cent of the peak mining operations," the pre-budget memo submitted by GCCI to the state government reads.

"There is a need to support mining-affected people by creating alternative employment opportunities, particularly in the rural areas, which are adversely affected by the mining," Raikar added.
The state budget will be presented in the Legislative Assembly on March 18.