Team Herald
VASCO: The Goa Barge Owners Association (GBOA) on Wednesday claimed that the latest order of the Supreme Court on iron ore mining leases would lead to large scale unemployment in the State, besides having massive impact on barge industry which is currently reeling under financial crises.
The reaction came after SC quashed all the 88 iron ore mining leases renewed by the Goa government on Wednesday and ordered that the Goa government grant fresh leases, through auctions.
“After we got to know about the SC order we immediately called an emergency meeting of Goa Barge Owners Association members. We will take decision only after the order is studied properly by our advocate and our members. At the same time we want to highlight that after mining business started in Goa and based on 88 mining leases renewed by the government we had repaired our barges after borrowing funds, but after hearing the SC order we are in shock,” Goa Barge Owners Association President Raymond D’Sa said.
He said this season they could make hardly six to seven trips and were hopeful that once mining operations began in full swing they would get good business and settle loans.
Former Goa Barge Owners Association President and current executive committee member Atul Jadhav, said funding was a worry, sating, collectively members had loan of around Rs 109 crore and we were to arrange money to pay loans after the government extended debt relief scheme. “We had ray of hope that using the scheme all our members will close the loan account before March 31. But now after the SC order if renewal of mining leases is going to take time then those financing us will be reluctant to fund us and this is our main worry,”.
Obviously we have to approach the government or right authority so that banks, which have given loans, should not go hard at us now, he said, adding that the issue is regarding the future of the business. “Goa Barge Owners Association will request the government to expedite the mining lease renewal process” he stressed.
