Team Herald
PANJIM: Hours after BJP’s ally Goa Forward Party (GFP) threatened to walk out of the government if mining industry does not resume at the earliest, the BJP Member of Parliament and Union Minister for State AYUSH Shripad Naik on Friday promised that the necessary amendment to the Acts would be introduced and passed during the forthcoming winter session of the Parliament, which is yet to be summoned.
Government has urged the Centre to amend Goa, Daman and Diu Mining Concessions (Abolition and Declaration as Mining Leases) Act, 1987, to enable the mining leases to remain operational up to 2037. It has also called upon Union Government to amend the Mines and Minerals Development Regulation (MMDR) Act, 1957 suitably in such a way as to give the benefit of the 50 year tenures introduced retrospectively in 2015.
Trying to pacify the agitating mining dependents, Naik said the amendment bill is been vetted by Law Department, Government of India, and his been forwarded to Solicitor General for necessary rectification. “Once that is clear, the amendment will be placed before the Central cabinet,” he said.
“Thereafter, it would be tabled in the winter session of the Parliament. I assure you that the bill will be taken up in the Parliament, once the session is summoned,” Minister said. “With full confidence, I assure you that the amendment will be cleared during the session, post which the current mining crisis would be solved,” he added urging people to maintain a little more patience.
“If the amendment is not passed and mining don’t resume, you people only decide what will be our future,” he added.
MP said that Central government is making all efforts to ensure mining in Goa resumes. “State government has worked day and night to solve the issue. Even MPs have taken up the matter now and then. Everyone has done everything they could do,” he stated.
Naik was speaking in presence of South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar, Speaker Goa legislative Assembly Dr Pramod Sawant, Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo, Power Minister Nilesh Cabral and MGP MLA Deepak Pawaskar.
The State has been demanding amendment to the Goa Abolition Act make it applicable prospectively w.e.f. 23-05-1987 i.e. the day it was enacted, instead of retrospective effect from 20.12.1961, so as to enable the current mining leases to remain operational up to 2037 and continue to aid the economic growth of the State of Goa and its people.
Addressing the crowd, Cabral admitted that there has been a delay in resolving the issue but assured that once issue is resolved, it is going to be a permanent solution. “We are looking for necessary amendment and not Ordinance so that some NGO (Goa Foundation) don’t run to Court and get a stay,” he said.
“If even after mining resume, that one person (Claude Alvares) creates a problem, I think people should know where they have to protest and not at Azad maidan,” he added.
Earlier in the day, people dependent on mining industry got a major political support with allies GFP threatening to resort to ‘extreme steps’ and Shiv Sena and Congress assuring the backing in the Parliament for them in their fight for resumption of the industry.
GFP Vice President Santosh Kumar Sawant said that his party has assured that they will be with the mining dependents till the industry resumes. “Though we are part of the State government, on behalf of the party, I assure you all that we will be forced to extreme steps if mining does not resume before Lok Sabha polls,” he said.
Sawant said that all the three legislators from GFP would be the first one to walk out of the government, if time comes, in support of the thousands of people dependent on mining industry.
Congress delegation led by its in-charge AICC secretary Dr Chellakumar has also extended full support to the mining dependents call for Goa bandh. “We are ready to come on street with the mining dependents. We will extend full support for Goa bandh on January 21, 2019, if mining don’t resume before that,” Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar said.
Former Chief Minister and Margao MLA Digamber Kamat said that every industry is marred with illegalities and irregularities; but that does not mean that the business has to be stopped. “It is a business, which serves livelihood to over lakhs of people,” he said.
Kamat said that if demand arises, he along with his 15 MLAs will consider resigning as legislators.
NCP legislator Churchill Almeao also extended his support to the dependents while questioning government failure to act immediately. Shiv Sena’s national leader and Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut appealed to hold day long Goa bandh to pressurize the central government to act in favour of mining dependent. “We have not come here to get votes from you. We are here because thousands of families are suffering due to ban on the mining industry. The need of the hour is not to sit for hunger strike but to strike and call for Goa bandh,” he said.
Raut stated that Sena would be willing to take lead in having Goa bandh in support of mining dependents. He also assured that all the Sena MPs would be supporting any amendment for the mining laws that could provide solace to the industry in the State. Goa Suraksha Manch leader and former RSS Goa chief Subhash Velingkar alleged that the mining was initially stopped in the year 2012 by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar “to take revenge on few of the mine owners.”
“Since that time the mining industry has been in the doldrums. The so-called efforts shown by BJP leaders to speak to Prime Minister and other leaders to get industry back on the track are mere eye wash. I have personal experience of facing such eye wash from the BJP leaders,” said Velingkar.
