24 instances of illegal mining in Goa, says Parrikar

A week after saying there was no illegal mining in Goa, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar Monday admitted that there were 24 instances of illegal mining in the state.

In a written reply to the Goa legislative assembly tabled Monday, Parrikar said 24 mines have been hauled up for illegal mining from 2007 to 2012, and the status of investigation ranges from notices served to the parties involved in it to the accused persons petitioning the courts against the government action.

After leading a campaign against illegal mining in Goa for five years as an opposition leader, Parrikar in a sharp turnaround July 16 said that there was no illegal mining in Goa.
Parrikar as well as the Bharatiya Janata Party earlier claimed that there was a Rs.25,000 crore illegal mining scam in Goa in which several top Congress leaders were involved.