Team Herald
PANJIM: After being ridiculed by Central Government for failing to follow the government protocol, the all-party delegation, which is now restricted to only ruling legislators, will approach the State Cabinet for a resolution seeking Centre’s intervention in ensuring that iron ore mining activities continue in the State post March 15.
Cabinet will also have to grant its nod to amend the Goa Daman and Diu Mining Concession (Abolition and Declaration as Mining Leases) Act, 1987.
The MLAs comprising of BJP and MGP will also call on Goa Governor Dr Mridula Sinha with a request to take up the plight of nearly three lakh mining dependents, who will be rendered unemployed, with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for solution.
The ruling panel delegation, which may include some minister’s too, will visit Delhi again on March 9, wherein it will call on Union Minister for Mines Narendra Singh Tomar, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Union Minister for Law Ravi Shankar Prasad, with a demand that if not amendment to the Abolition Act, than at least an ordinance be issued keeping in abeyance the Supreme Court’s February 7 judgment for next four-five years, while simultaneously, initiating the process for auction of leases.
During the visit, attempts will be also made to meet Prime Minister, whom the delegation failed to meet on Monday due to his busy schedule related to formation of the government in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya.
An all-party delegation had on March 6, approached Union Minister for Shipping Nitin Gadkari and Union Minister for Coal Piyush Goyal, both who failed to give any concrete assurance on the mining crisis.
Addressing media persons on Tuesday, BJP MLA Nilesh Cabral said that the delegation has been asked to get cabinet approval, to give more weightage to their demand. “Accordingly, we will approach our Cabinet to pass the resolution that mining activities in Goa should continue after March 15 and that Centre should intervene,” he said.
When questioned how a cabinet can take decision in absence of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is shifted out of Goa for medical treatment, Cabral said, “A senior minister can call for a cabinet and Chief Minister can grant his approval through phone call or video conference”.
“I have no idea, but if the three-member Cabinet Advisory Committee is granted powers, they also can call for meeting and pass the resolution,” he said adding “We are fighting to protect the interest and livelihood of those three lakh people, who are dependent on the business directly or indirectly. “
“We did not approach Centre to protect the interest of mining lobby,” the BJP MLA stated.
“During our next meeting, we will also put forth demand that on lines of NIIT and Jallikattu ordinance, Centre should also pass an ordinance keeping in abeyance the SC order thus granting immediate relief to the people dependent,” Cabral said.
Supporting him, BJP MLA Rajesh Patnekar said the MLAs are not against auction of leases but that can be done in the later stage, as the auction mode is lengthy and tedious. “The other modalities into auction such as outside players can be worked out later,” he stated.
Admitting that the first round of meeting was not a success, Patnekar said, “We are confident that Centre will agree to our request. We are trying our best to find a solution”.
Earlier, Cabral condemned the media report with regard to Union Minister Piyush Goyal’s statement that auction is the only option and failure to do so will snowball into another ‘coalgate’.
“The minister did make the said statement but it was during the first round of meeting. He was not aware about the issue,” he said.
“But later, during a meeting held at 4.30 pm, Goyal was explained in detail. He was also convinced and accordingly directed us to come on March 9,” Cabral said.
