Laxmikanth Parsekar has named Goan Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in the Rs 144,000 crore mining case. Parsekar is a former chief minister of Goa and is currently being investigated in relation to the mining case.
Parsekar went on to say that the plan was formulated during Parrikar's previous tenure as the Chief Minister of the state.
The Goa Lokayukta issued notices to Laxmikanth Parsekar, former mines secretary Pawan Kumar Sain and current mines and geology department director Prasanna Acharya who illegally renewed 88 leases in iron-ore mining leases in 2014-15 during Parsekar's tenure as the Chief Minister.
While talking about Parrikar, the ex-chief minister urged the Goa Lokayukta to fast-track the case so that evidence against the current chief minister would be out soon.
"I want the truth to come out. The accusation against me is of being involved in corruption worth Rs 144,000 crore. It is not a small amount," Parsekar said. He went on to say, "How am I responsible for the renewal of the mining leases when they were done as per the state government's policy, which was given an approval by the Bombay High Court at Goa?".
"Parrikar had begun renewing the leases and during his tenure, eight or nine of them (leases) were already renewed," he claimed. "When I took over, I followed Parrikar's track," he told NDTV.
In February, the Supreme Court invalidated the 88 leases which were renewed between November 2014 and January 2015. After this, iron ore mining ceased in the state.
