Team Herald
PANJIM: BJP National President Amit Shah failed to give any assurance to the mining dependants on the issue of resumption of mining activities in the State.
Using a time bargaining tactics ahead of upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Shah on Sunday told the mining dependents that the solution to current mining impasse would be worked out soon by Central government, as it failed to give any concrete assurance as to how or when it would be done.
The delegation of Goa Mining People’s Front (GMPF) along with all the three Members of Parliament, Shripad Naik, Narendra Sawaikar and Vinay Tendulkar, met Shah in New Delhi on Sunday to discuss a way out for resumption of iron ore mining activities in the State, which are shut since March, 2018.
GMPF President Puti Gaonkar, in a statement issued said that Shah mentioned that the data about the loss of jobs, idle trucks and barges and bank Non Performing Assets is worrying.
“Shah assured that a solution to the present mining impasse shall be brought about soon by the Central government,” Gaonkar added.
“During the meeting on Sunday, Shah stated that the issue of livelihood faced by lakhs of Goans due to stoppage of mining activities in the State is known by all and that Chief Minister of Goa Manohar Parrikar and MPs of Goa have been following up with the Central government for a solution,” he added.
Shah, however, failed to give any specific deadline as by when the solution would be worked out. He even did not specify the immediate solution that the Central government is looking at for resolving the crisis.
MP Narendra Sawaikar said that the discussion with Shah was very much fruitful. “BJP leaders have been always working to find out solution for the mining crisis. We have assured the people of Goa that their livelihood would not be affected at any cost,” he said as he thanked the party president for meeting the delegation despite his busy schedule.
Supreme Court through an order dated February 7, 2018, quashed and set aside the second renewal granted to 88 mining leases, while directing State government to initiate process for issuing new leases.
State Government through an Assembly resolution, had urged Central government to amend Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act 1957 in a bid to grant further life to those leases till 2037.
GPMF too, has been demanding that the Central government should amend the existing mining laws to provide new lease of life to the industry. The mining dependents have been agitating for last eleven months for fulfilling their demand.
