Team Herald
PANJIM: Resigned to the fact that auctioning of mining leases is the way forward, the State BJP has extended its support to the move, but pleaded that the State government and the people be granted sufficient time to prepare for it.
In separate meetings, Goa’s three MPs – Shripad Naik, Narendra Sawaikar and Vinay Tendulkar – met with the party national president Amit Shah; and in another meeting along with Speaker Pramod Sawant and PWD Minister Ramkrishna Dhavalikar met with Union Ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Nitin Gadkari highlighting the panic in Goa due to the Supreme Court judgment of February 7.
The Goa delegation was of the view that until the leases are auctioned, mining operations should continue and necessary steps be initiated to allow the continuance.
“During our recent meeting with Gadkari, he assured to visit Goa and hold discussions with the coalition partners on the mining issue. He will also assess the ground reality,” Dhavalikar said.
Sources in the government told Herald that the Union Ministers were informed about the repercussions of the SC order that would not only affect the mining dependents but also the State exchequer.
“We respect the SC’s order but we need time. We have requested for sufficient time to prepare for the auction, but until then let mining activities continue,” the source said. The delegation also discussed the possibility of moving the SC with a review petition.
Sources said the concern that would follow in the later stage, was involvement of outside companies in the auctioning of leases. The stakeholders also expressed apprehensions that if non-Goan companies take over the leases, there could be a threat to local employment.
“This could be addressed at a later stage, for now, we just want that more time be granted to continue the mining activities. Many families are solely dependent on this business to earn their bread and butter,” the source said. In the meeting on Monday, the BJP delegation also submitted that several mining operators had taken loans from banks after mining had partially resumed in 2014, and this ban would further put them in debt.
A member of the delegation added that the central leadership is serious about the issue but a legal method is sought to pave the way for the continuation of mining activities. “Let us accept the fact that we are all covered by the SC order. We can, however, resolve the issue either by approaching the court with a review petition or by an amendment. There has to be a legal way,” he said.
BJP President Vinay Tendulkar has been quoted as saying they have urged the Centre to ensure mining activities are operational at least till 2020 after which the State will decide its future course of action.
