BJP to meet president over Goa illegal mining scam
October 31st, 2011 - 8:10 pm ICT by IANS
Panaji, Oct 31 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said Monday its leaders would meet President Pratibha Patil to demand a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into Goa’s illegal mining scam.
Speaking to reporters in Panaji, party spokesperson Rajendra Arlekar said that party president Nitin Gadkari would lead a delegation of senior party leaders to Rashtrapati Bhavan Nov 3 to demand an SIT probe headed by a Supreme Court judge.
“The delegation will be led by Gadkari-ji, head of BJP’s scam expose committee Kirit Sommaiya, Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar and state party president Laxmikant Parsenkar,” said Arlekar, a former state president.
“Our demands include appointment of a Special Investigation Team headed by a Supreme Court judge. The team should have experts who know mining and forest laws and police officials who can probe criminal and conspiratorial angles to Goa’s Rs.25,000 crore mining scam,” Arlekar said.
He said that the party was satisfied with the manner in which the Justice M.B. Shah Commission was probing the illegal mining scam in Goa and the rest of India, but added that the panel was only a recommendatory authority and could not take offenders to task.
Central BJP leaders have alleged that several cabinet ministers, including Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, are involved in the Rs.25,000 crore mining scam, which they have billed as the biggest mining scandal in the country.
Goa exported 54 million tonnes of iron ore in the last fiscal from its nearly 100 operational open cast iron ore mines.
- Our report to bare roots of Goa's illegal mining: BJP - Oct 30, 2011
- Elections ahead, Congress, BJP reach out to mining lobby (Goa Newsletter) - Jan 28, 2012
- Goa port blames Kamat's ministry for illegal ore export - Oct 11, 2011
- Commission pegs Goa mining scam at Rs 34,935 crore, BJP wants Kamat booked (Lead) - Sep 07, 2012
- BJP's 'fight' against illegal mining wilting in Goa's poll heat (Goa Newsletter) - Feb 11, 2012
- BJP woes in Goa worsen after Gadkari visit - Feb 07, 2012
- BJP demands special probe in Goa mining scam - Nov 03, 2011
- Goa mining scam: Mines director suspended - Apr 03, 2012
- BJP to raise Goa mining scam in Parliament: Venkaiah Naidu - Oct 21, 2011
- Illegal mining report looms large over Goa (Goa Newsletter) - Mar 17, 2012
- Kamat to present facts on mining scam to Goa Congress - Oct 14, 2011
- Goa minister flouted rules in daughter's appointment: BJP - Nov 08, 2011
- Goa illegal mining scam worth $423 million: Trinamool Congress - Feb 15, 2012
- Leakage of Goa mining report to be raised in parliament - Nov 21, 2011
- '25 mn tonnes illegal ore extracted in five years in Goa' - Nov 23, 2011
Tags: bharatiya janata party, bjp leaders, cabinet ministers, cast iron, chief minister, forest laws, goa, investigation team, iron ore mines, kamat, laxmikant, leader of opposition, nitin, party leaders, party president, party spokesperson, police officials, president pratibha patil, state president, supreme court judge