Panaji: Recovery notices issued to mining companies in the state received poor response with a whopping Rs 257.9 crore of the dues remaining unpaid, the government said in the legislative assembly on Tuesday.
The chartered accountant (CA) audit report on illegal mining had estimated
Rs 319.5 crore, to be recouped from mining companies, of which only Rs 61.6 crore could be got back, said the government.
The notices were sent between 2018 and 2021 to 11 major mining leaseholders.
The money could not be recovered because companies challenged the notices before the revision authority of the ministry of mines.
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao raised the question on mining dues and defaulters against whom recoveries are pending. Replying to the query on whether past defaulters against whom recovery cases were pending are allowed to participate in mining block auctions, the government stated that
The Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2015, do not put any bar on participation of individuals or companies on whom the demand notices to pay mining dues were served.
The government said that Rs 567.8 crore has been received till date from the auction of 18 mineral blocks, in form of auction premium, upfront payment, royalty, contributions to Goa Iron Ore Permanent Fund (GIOPF), District Mineral Fund (DMF) and the National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET).
Of the 18 auctioned blocks, the six operational blocks are Bicholim mineral block I, of Vedanta; Sirigao-Mayem mineral block II, of Salgaocar Shipping Co Pvt Ltd; Monte De Sirigao mineral block III, of Rajaram Bandekar (Sirigao) Mines Pvt Ltd; Kalay mineral block IV and Advalpale-Thivim mineral block V of Fomento Resources and Cudnem-Cormolem mineral block VI, of JSW Steel Ltd.
