BJP report on mining scam in Goa to come out soon

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in Goa today said that they are in the final stages of preparing an "explosive" report on the illegal mining scam in the state, which will bare the trade from its root.

Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar said that the party has already prepared a rough draft of the report, which is being finalised and will be made public in next few days.

Parrikar, who had earlier come out with a report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), headed by him, on the illegal mining scam, said that BJP's report is entirely based on the facts, which can stand legal scrutiny.

"Over the last five years, iron ore worth Rs 25,000 crore was illegally extracted and sent out of Goa," he said, adding that the illegal mining industry has eclipsed the legal mining trade.

"Since the state government has failed to control illegal mining, it will damage the legal one," he said.

The BJP leader said that due to the illegal mining, everything has become cloudy, injecting fear in the minds of people dependent on the trade.

Parrikar added that they have decided to boycott all the committees of the state legislative assembly as the party has lost faith in the Speaker Pratapsingh Rane.

"Not just PAC, we will not be participating in any of the committees of the assembly," said Parrikar, whose PAC report was questioned by the Speaker.

Parrikar had been removed as the PAC chairman, after he had questioned the Speaker's move of not tabling the panel's report in the state legislative assembly.

The party has also begun a door-to-door campaign in the state, educating people on the illegal mining issue and creating awareness on the "mischief played by the state government".