TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, while frowning on layoffs by mining companies, said that the government has no powers to force the mining companies to pay their workers during the ban period. Companies could and should be able to sustain and support these workers as they had earned from mining all these years, he said.
Mormugao Port Trust made a lot of money on mining and can still sustain even during the present turbulence in the mining sector, Parrikar argued. “MPT has virtually made money on mining. Most of its revenue has come from mining activity. They can still sustain…” he told the House Wednesday.
MPT had decided to reduce their workforce and offered a special voluntary retirement scheme (SVRS) and special leave to its 2,605 employees.
“Ideally, the mine owners should look after their dependents because they (owners) have earned a lot from the industry for last 20 years. They can very well take care of the people for one or two years, during ban period,” Parrikar said.
The State government, would consider this aspect whether the mining firms retained their staff or laid them off, when the resumption of the mining would be allowed once the apex court vacates the halt, he said. The chief minister said the State expect SC to give its verdict by May.
Parrikar was responding to a question from Congress MLA Monserrate on the fate of about 40,000 mining sector workers who were rendered jobless following the ban.
Responding to yet another question from Monserrate as to why only truck owners have been brought under the Umbrella scheme, Parrikar said the government is also considering those directly affected due to the ban and based on the number of persons affected under each units affected by mining suspension, they will be brought under the scheme in due course of time.
“There are some sectors which are affected such as the hotels, which cannot be counted in …some supporting schemes will soon be introduced,” he added. He also said the current aid to truck owners who are left jobless and those people left unemployed due to mining halt was a temporary measure for a period of one year.
To yet another question that State government had suspended mining licenses even before SC’s interim verdict, based on the findings of Justice M B Shah Commission, Parrikar, also the Mines Minister, said the he has pointed out to the illegalities worth Rs 35,000 crore by various mine owners, in the report, but has also claimed that “the figures needs to be verified by actual measurements.”
“I did not impose ban but ‘suspended’ mining until I could verify that mining was working within the parameters… Shah Commission (members) used the hand held GPS wherein 120 to 300 meters of difference may occur. The report itself says observations made in the report need to be verified,” he said.
Parrikar also informed the House that the State government requires ‘seasoned advocates’ to achieve relaxation on the ban from the apex court.
