Team Herald
PONDA: Praising the government for making the State zero cases of COVID-19, Goa Mining People’s Front (GMPF) leader Puti Gaonkar on Friday urged Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant to take up immediate steps for resumption of mining in Goa.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Minister, GMPF leader Gaonkar informed that the CM has stated that the priority will remain to keep the State COVID-19 free. But we feel that it will be a challenge to address the herculean task of sustaining the economy of the State.
“State’s economy is mainly supported by Tourism and Mining and these industries are the major creators of employment in the State. The Pharma Industry is likely to fare better and may not be affected by the COVID-19 crises. However, it’s not enough to sustain the rate of employment, the State requires, nor in terms of revenue collection to compensate the loss of revenue from Mining and Tourism,” he states.
“With the nature of the COVID-19 crises, it is unlikely that the full fledged unhindered Tourism will be back soon but will take some time. Till such time, Mining Industry can come to the rescue of the State economy for which special efforts were needed to be taken by the State government,” he mentioned.
“Special efforts were needed from the State to convince the Supreme Court for finalising the pending cases pleading restart of mining in Goa citing economic situation of the State. The alternate option is that the State goes back to Centre for required legislative ordinance, amendment to make the leases valid till 2037,” suggests Gaonkar.
“The State has already lost over Rs 7,000 crore in revenue due to stoppage of mining in the last two years. There is no denying of the fact that the mining State Fund District Mineral Fund (DMF) and Goa Iron Ore Permanent Funds GIOPF) collected through only 18-month of dull mining operation has come to the rescue of the State during the crucial time of COVID-19 crises. Had the mining operation not stopped two years back, these funds would have also been over 1,000 crore,” he further adds.
Gaonkar also said that he had written to the Chief Minister about the negative role and instigation by NGO Goa Foundation to derail the path to economic recovery of the State and also against the livelihood of mining dependent people of Goa.
