The Goa state Environment Act lacks teeth to stop illegal mining activities in forest land. That's what Minister for Forests, Filipe Neri Rodrigues claimed on Monday in the Assembly in what is a shocking confession.

The Minister went on to state that the forest department cannot obstruct illegal mining activities in the forest land unless such activities are found to contaminate the water sources.

The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Manohar Parrikar demanded to know the reason as to why the government did not use the central funds received under the Bamboo Mission to which the Minister for Forests said that a committee is yet to be constituted to decide the implementation of the scheme.

Mr Parrikar retorted, “When you cannot even form a committee in one year’s time, it would be too much on my part to expect planting of bamboos in the state.”