43% ore exports from Goa illegally extracted: Goa Foundation

PANAJI: A leading NGO here today claimed that almost 43 per cent of the ore exported from Goa during the financial year 2010-11 was illegally extracted violating environmental norms and local laws.

Goa Foundation (GF), which has filed a series of litigation in Bombay High Court at Goa against illegal mining, said it has arrived at the figures on illegal extraction banking on the official data submitted by two government agencies -- Indian Bureau of Mines and State Mines and Geology department.

The ore export from Goa has been under scanner during last year after central government appointed Justice M B Shah Commission initiated the enquiry. The final report of the enquiry is yet to be submitted to the Centre.

The corresponding figures available from both the agencies indicate that the illegally extracted ore export is on rise compared to last year.

Goa Foundation's Claud Alvares said it was around 33 per cent for the year 2009-10. The ore production statistics was provided to the NGO by both the departments in response to the PILs filed before the High Court.

Goa government's directorate of Mines and Geology in their affidavit filed before the court in 2010-11 had said that total production was 48.38 million tonnes, while the actual exports were 54.3 million tonnes, which means there is no record of 5.65 MT ore.

"Obviously no royalty was paid on this 5.65 MT ore," Alvares said.

Interestingly, Directorate of Mines and Geology in their affidavit had stated that 91 mine leases were operational in the state.