Panaji | Dec 17, 2015: The special investigation team (SIT) probing into illegal mining cases have received the audit report of mining leases from the directorate of mines and geology (DMG) to study and accordingly asked the mines department to file complaints.
"We have started studying those reports and necessary action will be taken accordingly," a senior police officer attached to the SIT told TOI.
The mines department has appointed 15 chartered accountants to carry out audit reports of 118 mining leases. The chartered accountants have submitted a report to the mines department. Government has also appointed a committee to study the report to pinpoint what the loss is to the state due to illegal mining.
Deputy inspector general of police (DIG) K K Vyas had directed the mines department to submit the audit reports to SIT. Around one year ago, SIT had asked the mines department to file specific complaints before it with details of mining leases where illegal mining was being carried out in order to enable further investigation into the illegal mining scam but, till date, the mines department has not filed a single specific complaint against any mining companies.
Of the 15 cases of illegal mining being investigated by the SIT, three have been sent back to the respective police stations where the FIRs were registered, five have been chargesheeted, five are under investigation, and in two cases, closure reports have been filed.
The SIT had filed a closure report in two alleged illegal mining cases, one of which is the case against former Congress chief ministers Digambar Kamat and Pratapsingh Rane. The chartered accountants had examined the exact quantity of ore extracted, exported, amount of royalty paid, export duty, and if any ore was brought from the other state, etc.
The Shah commission report on illegal mining, had exposed a series of irregularities in the mining activity in the state, pegging the loss of revenue to the government from the mining scam at 35,000 crore.
The mines department has appointed 15 chartered accountants to carry out audit reports of 118 mining leases. The chartered accountants have submitted a report to the mines department. Government has also appointed a committee to study the report to pinpoint what the loss is to the state due to illegal mining
(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)