Goa mining lease: Lokayukta to issue notice to ex-CM Parsekar

Goa Lokayukta Justice (retd) P K Misra today ordered that notice be issued to former Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar in connection with the renewal of mining leases in the state between November 1, 2014 and January 12, 2015.

Along with Parsekar, then state Mines Secretary Pawankumar Sain and current Director of Mines and Geology Prasanna Acharya will also be issued notices under section 12 (2) of the Goa Lokayukta Act, officials said.

They added that notices would be issued by tomorrow and the three have been asked to reply to them by May 7.

Goa Foundation, an NGO, had moved the Lokayukta under the Prevention of Corruption Act claiming that the renewal of 88 mining leases had caused a loss of Rs 1,44,000 crore to the state exchequer.

Claud Alvares, director of Goa Foundation, today alleged that all three had granted mining leases in violation of the Supreme Court judgment (of September 2012 banning mining) and the provisions of Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act (MMDR).

These mining leases were quashed for a second time by SC in February this year and extraction of iron ore was stopped on March 16.