Ponda: Goa Mining People’s Front (GMPF), representing the cause of lakhs of mining dependents expressed its gratitude towards Goa Governor, Satya Pal Malik and Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, for writing to the Centre seeking immediate resumption of mining activities in the State by means of a legislative amendment.
They further elaborated how all mining activity in Goa was halted from March 16, 2018, which hit the livelihoods of over 3 lakh Goans, resulting in severe and critical unemployment in the State. They added that the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated the dire economic condition of the Goa State, which has devastated the tourism industry in Goa thereby deepening the financial crisis in the State which will further negatively affect the State revenue and aggravate the lives of Goans, who will be left without any sustainable source for their basic needs.
Against that backdrop, Puti Gaonkar, President, GMPF said ‘it’s imperative that the mining industry, which inherently works and employs local Goan resumes at the earliest’.
He added, “GMPF would also like to plead to the Prime Minister and his council of ministers to kindly consider the request of the State and pave way for resumption of mining through legislative amendment. More than 2 years have passed since the mining activities stopped in the State. Our fellow Goans in the mining industry are on the brink of economic and social catastrophe due to lack of livelihood opportunities and as such look towards to PM Modi to protect their future.
Also, while strongly criticising the detrimental stand taken by Goa Foundation (GF), Gaonkar said, “While the entire nation has come together to fight COVID-19 , GF, a NGO known for filing number of petitions in the High Court and the Supreme Court against Goa’s mining industry, has opposed the use of the mining funds by the State in Goa’s fight against coronavirus. This particular stance of GF shows its insensitivity and its anti-Goan/anti-national approach, which is a threat to the well-being of Goa. Considering its expertise in filing litigations of every kind possible, it’s at least expected of the NGO that they should know that the said funds can be used for fighting COVID-19 as per the guidelines issued by the Union Finance Ministry. We have always maintained that these irresponsible actions from this NGO have caused economic death of the mining dependent people in the State and despite the same they are still relentlessly pursuing their destructive agenda. GF should stop acting as the representative of the larger section of the State’s populace, while in fact, the NGO is particularly interested in only pushing the agenda of a small section who doesn’t want to see the State and the nation progress. Since the activities of GF are not in the interest of Goa and Goans, we demand that these anti-people activities are stopped immediately in larger interest of the State.”
They reiterated that mining has played and continues to play a vital role in the economic development of Goa and has been one of the biggest earners of foreign exchange to the state exchequer, with the loss of revenue to the State Exchequer estimated at Rs. 7,000 Crores during the last 2 years.
