PANJIM: An all party delegation will call on the Central government on Monday, March 6, seeking its immediate intervention in ensuring that iron ore mining activities continue in the State post March 15. The government has assessed that stoppage of mining activities will adversely affect revenue worth Rs 3,500 crore to the State and those dependent on the business.
The delegation will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi on Monday morning. While the appointments with Tomar and Gadkari have been confirmed, the State is awaiting confirmation from the Prime Minister’s Office.
An all party meeting chaired by senior Minister Ramakrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar held on Thursday evening, unanimously decided to approach the Centre for its intervention in resolving the crisis that will hit the State from March 16 onwards.
The meeting was called following directions from Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who due to his health condition was not able to chair the meeting.
“We have unanimously decided to take all party delegation to the Centre seeking their help and support to the State. We are going to bring to the notice of the Centre that stoppage of mining activities will result in loss of Rs 3500 crore to State,” Dhavalikar told the media after the meeting.
“The suspension of activities will also affect livelihood of nearly 1.5 to 2 lakh people who are directly or indirectly dependent on the business,” he added.
The Supreme Court, via an order dated February 7, quashed second renewals granted to 88 iron ore mining leases, directing them to stop operations after March 15. The State and Central governments have been directed to initiate a fresh process for granting leases.
The meeting was attended by Speaker Dr Pramod Sawant, Ministers Vijai Sardesai and Vishwajit Rane, Congress MLAs Leader of the Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, Pratapsingh Rane, BJP MLAs Nilesh Cabral and Rajesh Patnekar, MGP MLA Deepak Pawaskar and Independent MLA Prasad Gaonkar.
South Goa Member of Parliament Narendra Sawaikar, who will be part of delegation, was also present for the meeting along with officials from the Directorate of Mines and Geology.
While Dhavalikar declined to comment on what is going to be the State’s demand before the Centre, Sources reveal that the delegation will demand that the Centre issue an ordinance stating that under the Goa, Daman and Diu Mining Concessions (Abolition and Declaration as Mining Leases) Act, 1987, the appointment day means 28th day of December 1961 be read as the date of assent (1987).
“If the ordinance comes into force, this will make that the leases were granted in 1987 and not in 1961. The first renewal hence falls due in 2017, for a period up to 20 years,” sources said.
Earlier, Kavlekar said that all the parties were unanimous that the iron ore mining activities in the State should continue after March 15 and the government should take all necessary measures to ensure the same. “We have extended our full support to the government. We want mining activities to continue,” he said.
