Clock ticks away for Goa's CM

All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Jagmeet Singh Brar here said on Thursday that the Congress would take cognisance of the Shah Commission report on illegal mining in Goa and act on it.

“I cannot comment unless I go into the details of the findings, though I don’t understand why a report is being leaked before it is presented to the constitutional authority. But certainly, we will take cognisance of it,” Brar, who is also in charge of Goa, told Deccan Herald.

The Justice M B Shah Commission, which was appointed by the Centre to investigate illegalities in iron ore and manganese mining across the country, inspected nearly 130 operational mines in Goa over the last two months.

NDTV reported on Thursday that it had access to the do­cument on Goa that cla­i­med more than 50 per cent of all working mines in the state “are guilty of illegalities”. Kamat, who was mines minister for 11 years, has been accused of presiding over gross irregularities in mining operations across Goa, from excess ext­raction to blatant violations of environment rules and the entry of unlicensed contractors.

Fuelled by demand from China, Goa exported 54 million tonnes of iron ore in 2010-11, up 35 per cent from 40 MT shipped out in 2009-10. In 2008-09, it exported 33 MT.
With state elections due in early 2012, the Congress wo­uld be compelled to look for a more acceptable replacem­ent for Kamat whose image has already taken a severe beating.