Goa mining scam: BJP demands probe, removal of CM

Demanding immediate sacking of Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, BJP today pressed for a CBI probe into the mining scam, which it pegged at about Rs 25,000 crore. "We demand that Chief Minister Digambar Kamat be immediately sacked and a CBI inquiry be ordered into the mining scam in Goa, which I believe is one of the biggest scams in the country," said BJP leader Manohar Parrikar.

The former chief minister, who is now leader of Opposition in Goa, also headed the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the state Assembly which unearthed the alleged mining scam in the state and pointed a finger at Kamat. While the PAC had said the scam is to the tune of Rs 4,000-crore scam, Parrikar today put the figure at Rs 25,000 crore.

"It is a very serious scam, going by its scale which is mind boggling. It has happened with active collusion of politicians," he said. "The illegal mining scam in Goa is on a large scale which cannot be compared as it is a small state. The scam during the last five years of Congress government is of Rs 22,000 to 25,000 crore, about 15 per cent of what you find in 2G scam," he alleged.

Parrikar said the files show a "very clear nexus between the politicians and bureaucrats", while citing the instance of one particular file which he claimed has been cleared at all levels in in just eight hours. He also alleged that there was an attempt to scuttle the PAC probe, which was based on documents from the mining and other concerned departments of the state.

Seeking immediate removal of Kamat, the BJP leader said he has held the mining portfolio for the past 12 years. "Digamber Kamat is the minister without a break. Infact he had changed everything. He has changed his party. He has been changed from minister to Chief Minister. He has changed his other portfolios. One thing which is common till today is that he is the minister for mining. He held the portfolio when he was a minister in the BJP government. He is leading the scam," Parrikar alleged.

Parrikar, who headed the PAC said, "The scam impact is felt by the Congress government in the state so much that the moment the assembly was prorogued, the Speaker at midnight sacked the PAC and replaced it. He was so scared that he could not even wait for one or two days." He said that most of the illegalities took place after 2005 when the China boom came. "In the last five years, export exceeded production by nothing less than 1.42 crore tonnes. There is blatant violation of environment clearances to the extent of 27 per cent of exports during last two years, which is about 100 billion tonnes (10 crore tonnes)."

He alleged that iron ore has been extracted even from dumps without any environemnt clearance and said there are at least 40 cases where mines have been permitted by using such powers which clearly lie with the Centre. "There are cases when mines have been operating in wildlife areas and the environmental clearance certifications and NOCs from nattional wildlife board have not been taken before starting operations," he alleged.

The public accounts committee (PAC) of Goa Assembly had earlier unearthed a Rs 4,000-crore alleged mining scam in the state, which also pointed a finger at Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, as he held the mining portfolio.