BJP MLAs let mining cat out of bag, allege Shah Report inaccurate October 3, 2012
TEAM HERALD [email protected] PANJIM: In what seems to be a calibrated move to build pressure to allow mining to resume in Goa despite it having been termed as "illegal" in its entirety by the Justice M B Shah Commission, BJP legislators from the State's mining belt on Tuesday for the first time openly challenged the findings of the hard-hitting and detailed Shah panel report, terming it as "not 100% accurate", mocking it as "one-sided and based on Google images", and refusing to accept it. All four pro-mining BJP legislators - Pramod Sawant, Nilesh Cabral, Subhash Faldesai and Ganesh Gaonkar ~ have been lobbying with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to allow mining activity to resume in the State despite the strictures of the Shah Commission. Three of them told HERALD the Report was inaccurate and that they refused to accept it. Sanquelim MLA Pramod Sawant said: "We have requested the CM to allow mining operations of legal mines fast as possible as it is badly affecting the livelihood of the people dependent on mining. But at the same time, we are also against illegal mining," he claimed. When it was pointed out to him that he was taking a stand that made no sense given the Shah Commission has clearly termed all mining operations in the State as illegal, Sawant, who had led pro-mining protests on the streets of Panjim last year, refused to accept the Report, alleging "it is not hundred per cent accurate". "We cannot rely on Shah Commission Report. it is completely based on Google images," he said mockingly, adding: "The facts produced by the Commission needs to be verified by the State Government and that's what the Parrikar-led Government is doing." Sawant's stand was supported by mining contractor and Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral who questioned the Commission's finding that all mines in Goa are illegal. "How can all mines be illegal? This report is just one-sided wherein no efforts have been made to cross-check documents with the mining firms," he added. Cabral termed the investigation of the Shah Commission as "policing" and demanded that the Government should verify the facts produced in the report. He added a political twist saying: "Cancellation of Environment Clearances by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) is not the Centre taking action against mining illegalities but action against the State Government's move of suspending mining operations pending verification of documents." Suggesting that mines having proper documents including ECs, NOCs from wildlife board, lease papers and other documentations "could be termed as legal and allow to operate", Sanguem MLA Subhash Faldesai said: "The Commission, just on basis of field visits and Google images has termed all mines in the State as illegal, which is not true. We agree that there are illegal mines in the State and the Government is seized of the matter but the issues of people dependent on mining have to be taken into account before taking any decision on the issue," he said. http://www.heraldgoa.in/News/Main%20Page%20News/BJP-MLAs-let-mining-cat-out-of-bag-allege-Shah-Report-inaccurate/65154.html
