PORVORIM : Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday informed the House that the Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) has set up a Special Auction cell to expedite the process to auction iron ore mining leases in the State, with the government proposing to complete the first round of auctions in the next three to four months.
Sawant also assured the House that the government would explore all the possibilities of giving preference in employment to the existing workforce at the mining sites through the successful bidders after the auction.
The ruling as well as opposition benches cornered the Chief Minister over retrenchment of the workforce by the mining companies, citing the DMG circular asking them to vacate the mining lease site. The legislators urged the government to take steps to grant job security to the employees, whose livelihood is dependent on the industry. They also demanded that at the time of auction, the government should set a condition that 100 per cent of the existing workforce would be absorbed.Congress MLA Michael Lobo and BJP’s Bicholim MLA Chandrakant Shetye had moved a calling attention motion over the retrenchment of employees by Vedanta. They said that close to 1,200 employees have received the notice with only 14 days’ compensation. They said close to 4,000 to 5,000 employees will be retrenched in the days to come.
Sawant assured that he would work out a relief package for the retrenched workersm and that they will be employed when mining resumes in the State.
