In which going after black money hurts India’s savings industry..

or something like that…

I don’t know how many of you read this bit of “news” today morning (emphasis added, throughout)…

We will Close Down All Illegal Mines in Goa: Parrikar

Proposed move could further impact the iron ore industry and drag down mining growth in the country

Read it again…India’s largest selling English newspaper would have us believe that attempts to “close down illegal mines in Goa” will hurt mining industry and “drag down mining growth in the country“. Wait there is more…

..A dip in its production due to the closures will hurt international contracts and has the potential to hurt allied industries like financing, transport and producers of earth-moving machinery

Funnily enough the miners themselves “welcomed Parrikar’s efforts to close down illegal mines“. And the Secretary of the Exporters Association is quoted as saying: “Illegality affects the operations of legal miners. It is absolutely a step in the right direction,”

For those who may not know or remember, Parrikar was the “head of a ministerial panel investigating the extent of illegal mining of iron ore, he had pointed at a loss of about . 3,000 crore to the state government due to unaccounted mineral exports and mining beyond lease permits. ..He had also pointed at a criminal nexus between mine owners and various authorities. The Public Advisory Committee had submitted the report to the previous Goa Assembly Speaker last October, but could not table it on the floor of the House due to refusal of members of the then ruling Congress party to sign on the report.”

Is this another shameless example of “paid media” or is this more the case of a poor reporter who has been bullied into a contradictory headline? You decide.  Going by Times of India’s logic,  the government should not make any attempts to unearth black money since it might hurt India’s savings industry, no?

Adjacent Post: Of Indian Media and Elections..

Somewhat Related: The entire Great Joke that is Indian Media series: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16 and Part 17. Enjoy.