Goa Congress likens illegal mining to ‘murder on the street’
January 23rd, 2012 - 4:20 pm ICT by IANSPanaji, Jan 23 (IANS) The Congress in Goa Monday compared the mega illegal mining scam to “a murder on the street”, but claimed the Congress-led coalition government was not directly responsible for the menace in Goa.
Speaking to reporters in Panaji Monday, Congress spokesperson Ramakant Khalap said the party’s opposition to illegal mining would be reflected in its election manifesto, which was in the making.
“The Congress is against illegal mining. If a man is murdered on the street, the moral responsibility lies with the government, but it is not that the government is doing it,” said Khalap, a former union minister of state for law.
“The manifesto which we are in the process of preparing will mention our commitment to sustainable mining and opposing illegal mining. Mining will be limited to mining leases,” Khalap said.
The Congress-led coalition government of chief minister Digambar Kamat has come under severe criticism over the issue of illegal mining here, with civil society groups as well as the opposition BJP alleging a massive mining scam and the involvement of several cabinet ministers in it.
Senior BJP leaders have directly accused Kamat in the Rs.25,000 crore illegal mining scam, which is 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.
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- Goa Congress denies illegal mining charges - Jan 17, 2012
- BJP, Congress in nexus over illegal mining: Goa activists - Sep 23, 2011
- BJP manifesto promises Goa Lokayukta within 100 days - Feb 19, 2012
- Goa government lambasted on illegal mining in anniversary feature - Dec 13, 2011
- BJP fielding candidates of mining lobby: Kamat - Feb 26, 2012
- Our report to bare roots of Goa's illegal mining: BJP - Oct 30, 2011
- BJP-MGP alliance win in Goa; to stake claim Wednesday (Roundup) - Mar 06, 2012
- Kamat to present facts on mining scam to Goa Congress - Oct 14, 2011
- Goa to have wireless trackers on ore-laden trucks - Sep 19, 2011
- BJP to check why its leaders go soft on tainted Kamat - Aug 22, 2010
- Goa port blames Kamat's ministry for illegal ore export - Oct 11, 2011
- '25 mn tonnes illegal ore extracted in five years in Goa' - Nov 23, 2011
- BJP-MGP alliance routs Congress-NCP in Goa (Roundup) - Mar 06, 2012
- BJP to publish one lakh booklets on Goa scams - Mar 02, 2011
Tags: bjp leaders, cabinet ministers, chief minister, civil society groups, coalition government, election manifesto, goa congress, judicial commission, kamat, mining leases, minister of state, moral responsibility, opposition, panaji, ramakant khalap, spokesperson, union minister