As the countdown to the total closure of mining operations, for all practical purposes is well and truly on, there is a great churn in the mining belt. But this churn, undoubtedly of the people, is being witnessed more in the corridors of power rather than on the dusty mining roads or within mining pits.
The nervousness of many MLAs is palpable. But we wonder how much this has to do with deep concern for the loss of livelihoods – real or purported. It is no secret that many politicians in Goa, both from the Congress, the BJP and other parties had stakes and interest in different mining functions. From machine suppliers to contractors to transporters to barge and truck owners, every money spinning business had a politicians hand in it. When the boom in mining happened there was not only enough revenue generated but money was ploughed into the system by many different players including politicians, into companies.
When the going was good, return on such investment was an absolute breeze. And these returns were further ploughed back into a mining landscape. Therefore more machinery, trucks and barges were bought. Ancillary industries, in turn, grew exponentially. Banks at that point of time offered loans with levels of checks and balances that would be unheard of. All they needed was an indication of assured business which mining companies were ready to offer. As a result, bulk purchases of heavy vehicles were made with banks readily achieving their targets and more.
In short, everyone was happy, the lender, the borrower and the business provider. This was a chain which could not go wrong and it is this incessant greed that has now led to the absolute inability to grapple with the mining shutdown.
What is being branded as a “livelihood issue” is actually the inability to manage and control the debt exposure. For example, what do you do with the unpaid loans for the fifth truck when actually three trucks would have been more than enough?
Politicians, are also worried that the amounts invested in business, would have to be written off if the crisis continued. Therefore, the so called livelihood issue has to be seen from the prism of a business loss of those who pumped in money for returns which would benefit them as businessmen.
Thus, we need to look at the root of the outcry which is happening due to the impending closure of 88 mining leases. Taking nothing away from those who will genuinely lose livelihoods, it must be said that the political stakeholders in the mining business are using potential social unrest as the cause to fight back the impending closure, dictated, lest we forget, by the Apex Court of this country.
No one should hope for a solution which is contrary or not in spirit of the Supreme Court judgment. The Court has actually worked on a solution, which has become a problem for those who invested heavily in the mining sector in Goa. So we need to ask if the loss of business should be confused with a loss of livelihoods and if this loss is bigger than the loss to the state, due to the large scale destruction caused by illegal mining.
