TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Cutting across party lines, political leaders including Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and Opposition leader Pratapsingh Rane shared the dais here on Thursday with pro-mining activists at a massive public meeting, which resolved to push for immediate resumption of legal mining in Goa. All mining activity has been halted in the state by the Supreme Court since October 2012. The meeting held at Azad Maidan was attended by around 5000 people engaged in mining and allied sectors.
Former and sitting legislators from the BJP, Congress and Nationalist Congress party extended their support to “legal mining” and appealed to the Supreme Court and Centre to help resolve the crisis in Goa emanating out of the mining scam nailed by the Parrikar-led public accounts committee and subsequently by the MB Shah Commission. Independent legislators also made their presence felt at the meeting.
The public meeting was called by Goa Mining People’s Front (GMPF). The convention commenced with mining- dependent people carrying out a peaceful rally in the city. Truck owners, barge owners, machinery operators and others involved in ancillary activity participated in the meeting.
While the chief minister termed the Supreme Court decision to ban mining activity in Goa as an “injustice” towards the people, the Oppsition leader termed the ban “wrong”. Both leaders claimed that the mining situation in Goa is not similar to that of Karnataka and hence the solution cannot be the same. The meeting saw political as well as GMPF leaders targeting the Union government, Supreme Court and environmental activists for the current mining crisis in the state.
GMPF has threatened to intensify the agitation if mining does not resume within a fortnight after Ganesh Chathurti on September 9.
Addressing the gathering, Parrikar said that BJP government extends its full support to the people affected by the mining closure and for immediate commencement of mining. “I am not bothered about the mine owners but government is interested in the livelihood of the people,” he said.
The chief minister pointed out that the closure of the mining industry in Goa had worsened the economic situation of India and the state. A loss of around Rs 35,000 crore is being faced by the Indian government while the state government loss is Rs 1500 crore. “The export ban is one of the main reasons for rupee losing its value. If the situation continues, the prices of petrol and diesel will jump by at least Rs 10 per litre,” he forecast.
“How can the Supreme Court take such a big decision without hearing the state or central government? This is nothing but injustice,” Parrikar commented. He also announced that if the Supreme Court does not lift its ban by September 30, the schemes offered to mining-dependent people would be extended by another six months.
While demanding the fast-tracking of the mining case with hearings on a day-to-day basis, the GMPF has urged the SC to vacate the mining ban order issued by it. At the same time it has asked state government to also vacate its suspension order.
Rane said there would be some illegalities or irregularities in the mining sector but efforts need to be made to start legal mining. Rane said that he has already sent a letter to senior national Congress party leaders informing about them about the aftermath of the mining ban.
“The ban is wrong,” he said, urging people to hold peaceful protests for their rights. Speaking about the buffer zone, Rane said “mining came much before wildlife sanctuaries were notified. Government will have to rethink on buffer zones…it can vary from 50 metrs to 500 metres depending upon the size of the wildlife sanctuaries.”
Legislators Vishnu Wagh, Pramod Sawant, Ganesh Gaonkar, Subhash Phaldesai , Nilesh Cabral (BJP), Alexio Lourenco Reginald, Chandrakant Kavlekar (Congress), Rohan Khanute and Naresh Sawal (independent) were present for the meeting .
Congress president Subhash Shirodkar, NCP president Nilkhant Haldankar, former Revenue Minister Jose Philip D’Souza, former legislators Pratap Gawas and Rajesh Patnekar also shared the dais.
GMPF leaders Christopher Fonseca and Advocate Suhas Naik also addressed the meeting.
The meeting also demanded that the Union government provide a one time monetary grant of Rs 5000 crore towards the rehabilitation of people from mining sector along with urging Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to relax the repayment of loans.
While demanding a mining policy for the state, the GMPF also urged government to lift the order banning handling of dumps, with an objective for people to get employment. The meeting has also asked Ministry of Environment and Forests to accept the government’s proposal of a one kilometre buffer zone for the state.
