PANJIM: Even as Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar threw down a gauntlet to Indian Bureau of Mines to close mines in Goa, Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) officials began inspection of mining leases in Goa, on Wednesday, ahead of Minister Jayanti Natarajan’s visit to the state next week.

Sources stated that eight officials, four from MoEF and four from Central Pollution Control Board are down in Ponda and have begun inspection of mines to verify whether mining dumps are being handled by mining lease holders without obtaining environment clearances (ECs).