‘No mechanism to keep tab on illegal mining in Goa’

PANAJI - There is no mechanism in Goa’s only major port to keep tabs on illegal iron ore being exported out of the state, a senior official said Saturday.

Speaking at a press conference here, Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) chairman Praveen Agarwal said it was up to various government revenue agencies to track down and act on illegal mining in Goa.

“We do not have any mechanism in place to check for ore which is illegally mined,” Agarwal said.

While in 2009-10 Goa exported 40 million tonnes of ore, according to MPT, the opposition has repeatedly said in the state legislative assembly that nearly 18 percent of Rs.6,000 crore mining industry was comprised of illegal mining.

Agarwal said that while the port authority was not in a position to verify whether the iron ore was legally or illegally mined, it was in regular touch with agencies like the customs and the central excise department and the state government, who are responsible for checking illegal mining.

“We give them all the information on exported ore. It is up to them to tally the data on ore exported and extracted from the mines,” he said.

Of the 40 million tonnes iron ore exported by the MPT, 36 million tonnes is bound for China.