Former Goa CM Digambar Kamat discharged in mining scam case

In 2013, when BJP’s Manohar Parrikar was chief minister, a Special Investigating Team (SIT) was appointed to probe the illegalities and to fix criminal liability on those involved based on the findings of the Commission’s report. The SIT charged Kamat, who held the Mines portfolio from 2007 to 2012, and others under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Damodar Dhond, the counsel representing Kamat and several other accused, said all the accused in the matter have been discharged. “The order was pronounced on Monday. The order copy is yet to be made available,” he said.

The Commission had said in its report that “in 42 cases, the delay in filing renewal applications has been condoned by the state government when the applications were filed after the due date…”

After the Goa Daman and Diu (Abolition of Concession and Declaration as Mining Leases) Act, 1987, came into force, mining concessions in Goa granted by the Portuguese were declared to be leases with a fixed validity. Those who held Portuguese concessions were given a period of six months to apply for conversion of their concessions into leases.

The government, headed by Kamat from 2007-2012, was alleged to have allowed the revival of the old concessions by condoning delay in applying for a conversion from a concession to a lease.

Kamat was among eight Congress MLAs who defected to the BJP in September 2022.