Team Herald
PANJIM: A State government delegation led by Minister Ramakrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar on Thursday met Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari seeking an immediate solution so that iron ore mining activities can be resumed in the State.
The seven-member delegation also submitted a representation to Nripendra Misra, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Misra will hold discussions with the delegation on Friday.
Lok Sabha MP Narendra Sawaikar, Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar, Speaker Dr Pramod Sawant, and MLAs Nilesh Cabral and Ganesh Gaonkar are part of the delegation.
Speaking to Herald from Delhi, Dhavalikar said, “There has been delay in filing of review petition. We met Gadkari today morning. He has been in the know about the crisis as he had attended a meeting in Goa on the issue and had heard people’s grievances.”
He added, “We have asked the Centre to help us out from the situation. The revenue loss as estimated earlier is nearly Rs 3000 crore and there is unemployment too. The livelihood of more than one and half lakh people is affected and we need to help them.”
The delegation is likely to meet BJP president Amit Shah and Attorney General KK Venugopal, who is
vetting the State’s review petition to be filed before Supreme Court seeking a modification of its February 7 order, to allow mining operations to resume until the State finalises its auction policy.
When asked whether the State has proposed an ordinance to resume mining, Dhavalikar said, “That is one option we have put.” Sources reveal that if the Attorney General, too turns down the filing of a review petition, then the State will request that an ordinance be promulgated.
The ordinance will be to amend the Goa Daman and Diu Mining Concession (Abolition and Declaration as Mining Leases), Act 1987, giving life to the leases till 2037.
