Goa Congress members refuse to sign PAC report on illegal mining

PANAJI: A day before being tabled in Goa Legislative Assembly, the Manohar Parrikar-led Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report on illegal mining in the state has run into controversy after Congress party legislators on the Committee refused to sign it on Tuesday.

The Committee meeting, which was held this morning saw three Congress and PAC members -- Agnelo Fernandes, Victoria Fernandes and Fransisco Silveira -- and one Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) legislator Pandurang Dhavalikar refusing to sign the draft report.

The ruling camp legislators claim that the report was biased and prepared without taking them into confidence.

PAC Chairman and Leader of Opposition in the House, Manohar Parrikar, however, said he would place the report before the Speaker for further action.

"There is nothing called minority or majority in signing the report. It does not make any difference whether majority members sign or not," he said.

Of the total seven members, four members did not sign, while three members have adopted the report, which is likely to expose the illegal mining trade in the state.

BJP legislators and PAC members -- Damodar Naik and Fransisco D'Souza, signed the report.

The report, which stems from observations of Comptroller Auditor General (CAG) about Iron Ore exports by evading royalty, would be tabled on the floor of the House tomorrow.

Naik told PTI that Congress MLA Fernandes walked away with the draft report home.

"The document is confidential as it is yet to be tabled on the floor of the House. If it is leaked now then Fernandes should be held responsible," he said.

Interestingly, of the four members, who refused to sign today, two have hardly attended PAC meetings.

Silveira had told reporters yesterday that he never went for any meetings because he was busy. Fernandes had also said that he had attended only two meetings.

"There were 29 meetings since 2009 for the formation of this report. Congress legislators have attended hardly two of them and now they are refusing to sign," Naik said.