Everyone is trying to fool Goans taking undue advantage of their natural ‘giving’ attitude. Mining is not a hand to mouth industry – including for the mining dependents – which is being made out to be by the mining trader barons. Cheap tactics like the photo and article where in a mine issued notice to its staff and workers to not report for duty. Farming is a hand to mouth industry where in a failed crop has led to suicides. Mining on the other hand has its dependents investing in real estate and luxury cars etc. and having assets way beyond others eking out a livelihood in other fields.
The Court ruling has given a reprieve to all the stakeholders to sit up and take stock: to do a better job. Greed and irresponsible characters have however taken the opposite route.
Risk Management in mining is non-existent. Banks have in fact wilfully caste aside the risks while extending loans. Surely, such banks need to be penalised.
A proper Risk Management system would show that mines can close due to varied reasons and mitigation actions are well taken care of. Mines operation can close due to exhaustion of mineral, lack of demand, uneconomic operations, natural calamity, directives from statutory organisation or court etc.
The Central Govt. had issued a Notification in 2003 that all mining lessees must issue a ‘Progressive Mines Closure Plan’ for any of the above reasons. Final Closure Plan must then be submitted before closure.
What does the Closure plan take care of? Besides matters like air and water quality management, waste management, disposal of machinery and reclamation of mined out land, the plan must also show: Economic Repercussions of closure of mine and manpower retrenchments: Manpower retrenchment, compensation to be given, socio-economic repercussions and remedial measures consequent to the closure of mines should be described, specifically stating the following.
Number of local residents employed in the mine, status of the continuation of family occupation and scope of joining the occupation back.
Compensation given or to be given to the employees connecting with sustenance of himself and their family members, Satellite occupations connected to the mining industry – number of persons engaged therein – continuance of such business after mine closes, Continued engagement of employees in the rehabilitated status of mining lease area and any other remnant activities, Envisaged repercussions on the expectation of the society around due to closure of mine.
If all the rules are followed there was no reason for the massive demonstrations held.
