'Goa govt committing same mistakes in mining industry again'

Accusing the Goa government of repeating its past mistakes by providing benefits to a select few mine owners in the state, an expert today called for setting up of permanent mining fund as directed by the Supreme Court.
"In January, the government renewed 88 mining leases to a couple of lease holders," Claud Alvares, director of Goa Foundation told the gathering here today.
"How far we have gone repeating in what we did last time? In the last three years no lessons have been learnt," he said.
Goa Foundation's petition in the illegal mining case had resulted in Supreme Court banning entire mining industry in the state owing to the allegations of illegal extraction.

Alvares alleged that the government was offering public wealth to a select few.
"Based on the environment clearances, the 88 mining leases are entitled for total production of 44 million tonnes," Alvares said adding that the total value of the iron ore works out to Rs 1.64 lakh crore.

"The net value would be Rs 172 lakh crore and royalty on this amount Rs 4,467 crore," he said.
The expert also accused the state government of ignoring the demand for setting up of permanent mining fund.
"Considering these figures, a sum of Rs 16,417 crore should be deposited in the iron ore fund. We have come to these figures after referring to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and RBI and other agencies," Alvares said.

"I am not saying I have lost faith in the mining industry, but I have lost faith in the government," he added.
Announcing that Goa foundation would soon launch a campaign to set up permanent fund, Alvares said, "Even after such plundering, same mine owners are given benefits of the iron ore industry by the government."
He suggested that the state government should own all the mines and sell the ore on its own.
"Let the government own all the leases, sell the ore and put the money in the permanent fund," he stated.