SME Times News Bureau | 16 Feb, 2012
Trinamool Congress president in Goa Wilfred de Souza Wednesday said he had a glimpse of Justice M.B. Shah commission report on illegal mining and that the document pegged a revenue loss of $423 million in the form of illegal ore export.

"The report which I managed to get a glimpse of says illegal mining in Goa has cost a loss of $423 million in terms of revenues to both the Goa and central governments," de Souza said at the party's state headquarters.

The report is being awaited with bated breath by the political establishment in Goa, with several high-profile Congressmen being linked to the multi-crore illegal mining scam.

Holding Chief Minister Digambar Kamat responsible for illegal mining in Goa, the Trinamool leader said: "The chief minister is in a position to stop illegal mining, instead he has encouraged it."

The Congress-led coalition government in Goa has come under severe criticism over the issue of illegal mining, with civil society groups as well as the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleging a massive scam and involvement of several cabinet ministers.

Senior BJP leaders have directly accused Kamat in the Rs.25,000 crore illegal mining scam, already being probed by a judicial commission led by Justice M.B. Shah which is also investigating illegal mining in other parts of the country.