Goa govt to recover Rs 3,431 crore dues from errant mining companies

Panaji, Aug 4 The Goa government will recover dues to the tune of Rs 3,431 crore from companies being probed for illegal mining in the state, an undertaking submitted to the Bombay High Court bench here said.

The underwriting filed by the Goa government also said that the state Mines and Geology department would issue written orders as a follow up to prior notices issued by the department to mining companies within the next four months.

"The High Court bench recorded the undertaking of the Goa government that orders would be passed on all the demand notices issued to mining companies within a period of four months," said Claude Alvares of the Goa Foundation, an environmental action group that had petitioned the High Court bench.

The petition demands recovery of dues pending with companies, that have been indicted for illegal mining by a panel of chartered accounts appointed by the Goa government.

Till date, the state government has recovered only Rs 4 crore from the errant mining companies, even as the notices were first issued by the Mines and Geology department in 2017.

The Goa Foundation filed a petition before the High Court bench for recovery of dues, claiming the government was dragging its feet vis-a-vis the recovery processes.

"After conducting enquiries and also relying upon enquiries done by the Auditor General, Goa, demand notices for Rs 3431.31 crores were issued to various parties for recovery," Alvares has said in the petition filed before the High Court.

"Despite a direction from the apex court in its judgement in 2018, only Rs 3.99 crore have been recovered," the petition also said.

The committee of chartered accountants was set up following the revelation of Rs 35,000 crore illegal mining scam by the Justice M.B. Shah Commission in 2012.

( With inputs from IANS )