Panaji: Former Goa minister Dayanand Narvekar has alleged that the then Congress-led government had knowledge about the illegal mining scam in the state, but preferred to keep mum on it.
Narvekar, who was then finance minister, produced findings of state Legislative Assembly's estimates committee which met in 2010, which was wary of the state mines and geology department's lack of knowledge about the exact quantum of iron ore produced in Goa.
“The then Congress-led government was knowing about these illegalities and the concerned minister remained silent on it,” he alleged before media persons here last evening.
Narvekar, who recently left Congress to form his own political outfit, Goa Democratic Front, alleged that the recommendations of the committee were kept under wraps by the Congress-led government, which had the idea about the scam perpetrating in the state for last 17 years, during which former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat held the mines department portfolio for 10 years.
The committee had expressed “shock” over non-existence of procedure to know how much ore was extracted in the state.
