Probe conducted into dealings of 82 mining leases in Goa

In a major step towards recovering the money involved in illegal mining in Goa, a team of chartered accountants constituted by the state government has submitted details about 82 of the total 118 mining leases.
The team was constituted by then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to pin-point the exact amount illegally traded by various mining firms between 2005-2012, when the scam was unleashed.
The Justice M B Shah Commission, which probed the scam, had estimated illegalities to be worth Rs 35,000 crore.
"The CAs were assigned to investigate the dealings related to 118 mines. We have received report about 82 mines. Detailed report about the rest 36 mines would be submitted by July 15," a senior Mines and Geology Department official told PTI yesterday.

The team audited various documents, including export challans, to sum up the illegalities committed by each of the mining leases.
The officer, who requested anonymity, said after the investigation into the mining leases, the team of CAs will also conduct an audit of around 260 export agents operating in the state.
The mining industry in the state came to halt after the Supreme Court imposed a ban on iron ore extraction in September 2012. Though the ban was lifted in April last year, the mining operations are yet to resume.
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar has said mining operations would resume by October this year.