Specially appointed staff to keep tab on ore-extraction in Goa

Panaji, Feb 1 (PTI) After facing flack for shieldingillegal mining in Goa, the state government has decided tospecially appoint staff on each mining site to collect factualdata on ore extraction.

In an action taken report on recommendations of EstimatesCommittee of the State Legislative Assembly, Goa governmenthas said that they have already taken a decision to createsome posts to check as well as monitor the quantity of orethat is being extracted from the mining leases.

Chief Minister Digamber Kamat has said that the processof filing up these posts is in progress.

The action taken report was tabled on the floor of theHouse during ongoing State Legislative Assembly session whichbegan on Monday.

The Estimates Committee has also recommended that anindependent agency should be employed to check production andtransportation of ore.

The CM, however, has ruled out employing such agency.

Kamat has said that the general practice in all thestates is that such checking of production and movement ofminerals is done by the technical officers having theknowledge of identification of minerals.

Goa exports around 38 million MT of iron ore extractedfrom 100-odd mining leases scattered across the state.

Kamat stated that the Department of Mines periodicallycarries out inspections of mines to ascertain the efficacy ofmeasures adopted by the mining lease holders to minimise thedamage due to mining activity.