Panaji, Mar 20 (IANS): In an unprecedented assault on the mining sector, Goa Governor K. Sankaranarayanan Tuesday said the government would crack down on the illegal mining mafia in the state.

Sankaranarayanan told the newly-elected assembly on the opening day of the budget session that no more forest land would be diverted for mining purposes.

"My government will try its best to curb illegal mining and crack down on the illegal mining mafia. My government wishes to reduce dependency of the Goan economy on this sector," he said.

Only "legal mining" would be permitted, he added.

This is the first instance that the governor has openly voiced criticism against illegal mining and endorsed that an "illegal mining mafia" was operational in the state.

The governor also said that the government wished to reduce dependency of the Goan economy on this sector, which "has been a dominant industry providing employment to a number of persons and contributing significantly to the exchequer.

"My government also assures that no more forest land will be diverted for mining purposes and concentrate on upgradation of deforested areas," Sankaranarayan said.

He said mining companies would be "vigorously persuaded to adopt concurrent back-filling in the pits which have already been exhausted by mining".

Sankaranarayan said the government would make all out efforts to increase revenue from legal mining and plough back a substantial part of it to provide better infrastructure and reverse environmental degradation.

Documents placed in the assembly last year show that over one lakh trees were cut in 2005-11, most of it to make way for mining.

Government figures also show that 1,314 hectares of land were diverted by the Congress-led Digambar Kamat government to make way for 26 mines from 2007 to 2011.

Illegal mining was one of the major issues in the run up to the March 3 polls in Goa in which the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party alliance was ousted by a BJP-led alliance.