Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao speaks in the Assembly.
Photo Credits: Narayan Pissurlenkar
MAPUSA
The opposition parties in the Goa Legislative Assembly on Friday mounted a fierce attack on the State government over the collection of green cess from coal and petroleum handling companies, alleging a major scam and accusing the administration of favouring big corporations.
During Question Hour, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao questioned the government's slow approach in collecting dues from coal and coke handling firms.
Alleging a major financial irregularity, Alemao claimed that the State exchequer had suffered losses amounting to thousands of crores due to the government’s policies.
“The BJP government reduced the green cess from 2 per cent to 0.5 per cent, leading to a loss of thousands of crores. It failed to issue demand notices to major corporations like Adani and JSW, effectively shielding crony capitalists while ignoring the interests of the common man,” Alemao charged.
Supporting his claims, Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas raised concerns over the utilization of the collected funds.
“Despite severe environmental degradation, there is no clarity on how the Rs 237 crore collected in green cess has been used. We demand a detailed breakdown of how these funds have contributed to reducing Goa’s carbon footprint,” Viegas stated.
Congress MLA Altone D’Costa also joined the opposition’s attack, calling for transparency in the green cess collection process.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who responded on behalf of the Minister for New and Renewable Energy, defended the government’s actions.
He informed the House that Rs 237 crore had been collected in the 2023-24 financial year, adhering to Supreme Court directives that only 50 per cent of the cess be collected until a final decision is made.
“The matter is currently before the Supreme Court. We have followed the court’s directive to collect 50 per cent of the cess, and once the final verdict is given, we will ensure 100 per cent collection,” Sawant assured.
As per official data tabled in the Assembly, the total tax demand, including penalties and interest, stood at Rs 352.20 crore, of which Rs 237.70 crore had been paid, leaving an outstanding balance of Rs 114.49 crore.
Despite the Chief Minister’s assurance that no company would be exempt from paying the cess, the opposition continued to protest, insisting that the issue involved a massive scam worth Rs 8,000 crore.
Alemao demanded the formation of a House committee to conduct a thorough investigation into the cess collection and expenditure.
The heated exchange led to a ruckus in the House, with opposition members pressing for greater accountability and immediate action against polluting industries that have allegedly evaded paying their fair share of the green cess.
