Mining 'hits' Digambar, Sonia asks for report

GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 27 September 2011 22:40 IST

Goa CM Digambar Kamat with Sonia Gandhi

Clouds of political uncertainty have gathered over Goa as Congress President Sonia Gandhi has asked for a detailed report on illegal mining in the state.

Chief minister Digambar Kamat, who has been holding mines portfolio for the last 12 years in both the BJP and the Congress governments, has come under scanner over illegal mining.

Party’s Goa observer Jasmeet Singh Brar has preponed his visit by two days. Instead of 30 September, he is arriving in Goa tomorrow.

Congress general secretary Sudhakar Reddy is also accompanying him, especially to prepare a report.

Rumours are already afloat of change in leadership over the issue of illegal mining.

The cabinet is thus meeting tomorrow morning.

Later, an emergency meeting of the Congress Legislature Party has been convened in the evening.

The seriousness of the matter can be sensed from the fact that the CLP is meeting once again within a week.

The CLP, when met last week on 22 September, had changed its earlier stand of holding early election by dissolving the Assembly.

The meeting, by majority, had felt that the ruling party should not press for early polls due to two reasons – public furor after Anna Hazare’s fast and a report being prepared by Justice M B Shah on illegal mining.

Following B S Yedurappa, the BJP chief minister of Karnataka, being forced to step down over illegal mining, Goa chief minister Kamat has now come under scanner over the same issue.

Incidentally, Dr U V Singh, the same officer who assisted Justice Santosh Hegde to prepare Karnataka Lok Ayukata’s report on illegal mining scam, is also assisting Justice Shah.

With national TV media also concentrating on Goa’s illegal mining (supposedly of around Rs 10,000 crore), panic has struck the Congress camp.

The two-day Assembly session is being convened on 5 and 7 October.

Opposition leader Manohar Parrikar, who is also the chairman of Public Accounts Committee, would table his report on illegal mining.

Chief minister Kamat however has denied any involvement in illegal mining.

According to him, not a single clearance has been given for mining in the last 10 years during his tenure of 12 years.

He however has admitted in the Assembly earlier that huge amount of iron ore has been illegally exported from Goa.

While the state government blames the Mormugao Port Trust for the illegal export, the MPT authorities have alleged that around five million tons of ore has been exported through state-owned Panaji port.

The fact however is that both the MPT as well as the chief minister Kamat admit that iron ore is being export illegally from the state.

In the light of these facts, it needs to be seen what steps the Congress high command takes regarding their own chief minister when the BJP has already forced its Karnataka chief minister to step down.

“I am prepared to step down any moment, provided my party leadership tells me to do so”, says chief minister Kamat. 


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Previous Comments

i fully agree and endorse the views of Mr.Cruz Rego. We are corrupt,and we should admit it. Even during portuguese rule ,our forefathers used to gift choicest fish to the govt.officers and they wd accept it willingly,to do favours.Today,it is rampant,thanks to the congress culture.It was less or almost none,during the rule of late Bhau Bandorkaar.It was also less,during Manohar`s rule.Now its free for all.Everyone is corrupt in the ministry and any govt.office.only GOD save GOA .

- pedru peixote, goa | 28 th September 2011 17:02

 

goa is basically a corrupt state.we,goans think ,we are honest,but given an opportunity,we love to make money by hook or crook.we have proved it in the past 45 years.and its not only the politicians,its businessmen,doctors,lawyers,architechts,journos,taxiwallas,hoteliers,--all are the same.

- cruz rego, goa | 28 th September 2011 08:53

 

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