Illegalities And Not Irregularities Mr. Shirodkar We had heard that there were no drugs, no corruption and no illegal mining in Goa, for all that matters it's been proved that there are drugs in Goa, along with corruption and illegal mining, now out comes Mr. Subhsah Shirodkar and goes a little further, categorically stating that none of the Congress members, nor the Government of Goa is involved in illegal mining but how is it that illegal mining still flourishes in Goa, Mr Shirodkar ? Is it not the Congress that is the government in Goa or are we in Karnataka ? If Mr. Subhash Shirodkar is right, which is highly unlikely, but even then, is it not the duty of the ruling government to stop illegal mining and illegal sale of ore and take action against those involved in it ? So why has the Congress failed to do what they should have been doing in the first place ? Mr. Shirodkar should certainly put money where his mouth is !
It is proved beyond doubt that there is large scale illegal mining in Goa and a huge amount of unaccounted ore has been exported, costing the Goan treasury thousands of crores, as has been identified and acknowledged by Justice Shah, so, is it not the responsibility of the Government, to see that the exchequer is not robbed of it's valuable resources ? If Congress, the ruling dispensation in Goa is not able to safe guard our valuable resources, what right does it have to stay in power ? If the ruling Government cannot protect and safeguard what belongs to all Goans they should resign, because we Goans have been deprived of the benefits that we were due for, only because of the Congress inefficiency and greed. Chief Minister Digambar Kamat has been the minister for mines for around a decade, should he not be held responsible for the loot of our precious resources ? There is absolutely no doubt that all most all Congress as well as the other MLA's are involved in illegal mining one way or the other but have covered their tracks well but truth cannot be kept hidden forever. One has already seen the back of the cage because of illegal mining and the rest will sooner or later be in a similar position. If not for personally being involved, which is highly unlikely, they should be locked in the cage for negligence that has cost the exchequer huge sums of money. Mining in Goa is a multimillion dollars industry, a legacy of the Portuguese. God or Nature, as one believes, was generous enough to Goans to fill it's underbelly with rich ore, for the sustenance of it's inhabitants. Unfortunately a few elite have hijacked this multimillion dollar industry and gone on rampage for their own personal financial enhancement, leaving the inhabitants in a limbo and in dire state, as our environment and our ecology is devastated by large scale and illegal mining. Agriculture as well as both human and animal live has been affected by the receding water tables and high levels of pollutions causing severe health problems, which has now led to dissent and opposition everywhere in Goa. Studies have shown that if atrocities against our environment and ecology are not stopped and remedial steps not taken now, we are bound to pay a very heavy price, in the very near future. It is indeed difficult to understand the apathy of our government towards our environment and our ecology and the failure to comprehend the dangers inherent in excessive mining, as we have already experienced, though mild, the wroth of nature on more than one occasion. We should not be playing with nature, a slight imbalance could cause havoc with life and property, nature, should not be taken for granted just because we are yet to see the full force of the fury of nature, it is certainly better to be safe than sorry and this fear certainly not fictional. Mr. Shriodkar tries to highlight the differences between illegalities and irregularities which is indeed amusing, should irregularities be condoned or forgiven ? Mr. Shirodkar's argument clearly exposes his malafide intent, to twist facts and words to benefit himself and his fellow party men. Mining without a NOC from the environmental agency or any other required bodies is an irregularity or an illegality ? There are documents that are a prerequisite before starting a mine and lack of any of these documents make the mine illegal and for the kind information of Mr. Shirodkar there is certainly a very vast difference between irregularities and illegalities and mining without any of these prerequisite documents is an illegality and not an irregularity. I am sure most of Mr. Shidorkar's political colleagues will be confused with the difference between irregularities and illegalities but certainly not us. Can Mr. Subhash Shirodkar justify more than 400 mines in a small state like Goa ? No doubt mining contributes a major chunk to the Goan coffers but there in no doubt that what actually comes to the State's coffers in just peanuts compared to what goes in to the pockets of those involved in mining ? So why should a few benefit while the people at large and the land suffers ? It is also true that no amount of money can justify nor compensate the destruction of our environment and our ecology because our very own survival depends or rather the survival of humanity depends very much on the survival of our environment and our ecology. The question now is, does Mr. Subhash Shirodkar know this fact and wise enough to accept it ? Only time will tell ! Freddy Agnelo Fernandes ##################################################################################### The content of this electronic communication is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed and any others who are specifically authorized to receive it. It may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or otherwise placing reliance on the contents of this information is prohibited and may be unlawful in certain legal jurisdictions. If you have received this communication in error please notify the sender immediately by responding to this email and then delete it from your system. #####################################################################################
