Porvorim (Goa) Goa government has disputed the figure of Rs 35,000 crore of losses predicted by M B Shah Commission due to the illegal mining activity from 2005 till 2012.

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told the House in a written reply that “assumed figure of about Rs 35,000 crore loss is found to be not correctly projected.”

Parrikar said that the State government has not yet completed the investigation of illegalities taken place during the period (2005-2012). He said that the investigation of the illegalities is dealt with one by one.

The chief minister said that comptroller auditor general has not quantified loss from 88 operational leases.

“The report of justice M. B. Shah commission has directed state Government to assess the actual loss to the state from each mine and other illegal mining based on ground realities by a team of experts in the field with latest 3D Laser measurement equipment and other factors,” he said responding to a Question tabled by Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar.

“Such an exercise was conducted with help of D.G.P.S survey and it was found that surface disturbance outside lease hold area was less than 10 Ha as against 578 Ha mentioned in the Shah commission Report,” he said.

“As such, assumed figure of about Rs 35000 crore loss based upon such lease encroachment was found to be not correctly projected. However the other illegal acts are being investigated on case to case basis,” the chief minister added.

The iron ore extraction activity in the State was shut down temporarily in September 2012 by the SC after the M B Shah commission submitted its report. The mining was resumed two years later with several riders.
Team TNV