Goa mining: State got 1,487 cr through e-auctioning, royalty

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar today told the state Legislative Assembly that the government had recovered Rs 1,487.91 crore from mine owners in the form of e-auctioning of ore and royalty payments on them.

He was replying on cut motions moved by the opposition on the demand for grants of the Mining department.

"The total loss estimated by the Public Accounts Committee due to illegal mining is Rs 4,000 crore. A panel of chartered accountants has put this figure at Rs 1,508.59 crore. The CAG has pegged it at Rs 1,922 crore," Parrikar told the House.

He said that the government had recovered Rs 1,487.91 crore from mine owners and this included Rs 1,042.46 crore from e-auctioning and Rs 445.44 crore from royalty and other payments.

Responding to demands to restart the mining sector in the state, Parrikar said that it was not an issue that could be solved by the state government alone.

"To solve the issue, we will have to take it to the Centre," he said, adding that the only solution one can see currently is amending the Goa, Daman and Diu Mining Concessions (Abolition and Declaration as Mining Leases) Act, 1987 in Parliament.

The Goa CM said that a resolution would be moved in the state Legislative Assembly requesting the Union government to amend this Act.

"I would like to hear from all the MLAs on this proposal. The Congress should also support us at the Centre to get the Act amended in Parliament," Parrikar said.

Speaker Pramod Sawant said that the resolution would be adopted on August 3, the last day of the monsoon session.