Team Herald
PONDA: Gram Panchayats of Goa under the Goa Mining People’s Front (GMPF) have appealed to the Supreme Court for immediate resumption of mining in Goa deeming protection of livelihood following the COVID pandemic and cyclone devastation across the State.
They claimed that the shutdowns and embargoes have heavily weighed upon the lives of the mine workers and the suffering has now heightened beyond extreme to a point of ‘gasping for air’, in ‘search of oxygen’ through Pandemics and nature’s fury.
Mrs Jayashree Devanand Parab, Sarpanch- Panchayat of Pissurlem, Sattari, Goa, said, “Panchayats of the mining belts have told our Supreme court Advocate to knock the door of Supreme Court again to come to the rescue of our livelihood. Three years of livelihood loss since mining closure in March 2018 and then the COVID-19 pandemic and now the second wave has devastated us further with more sufferings and job losses. Our village people are on verge of collapse. All are waiting for Supreme Court decision to get back the livelihood by restarting mining. Hope the Supreme Court hears our cries of our livelihoods and save the village people from economic death before it’s too late. We cannot blame the State and Central Government and sit idle. We also will do our bit in the Supreme Court to fight for our people’s livelihood. Hope Supreme Court understands our sorrowful plight and gives a decision or solution which will start mining within few months and our villagers get back the livelihood source.”
Puti Gaonkar, President, GMPF said, “The impact of the COVID -19 second wave has further worsened the sufferings of the Goans. The people of Goa especially from the mining belt have broken down completely and finding difficult to meet basic needs such as food and medicines. The people from the villages are at present living with limited resources, borrowings, spot jobs, gold loan at the very least. ”
They even substantiated their appeal with figures stating, the Goa Mining sector has been one of the biggest earners of foreign exchange to the state exchequer till the ban which caused a loss of over Rs. 11,000 crore revenue to the State in the last 3 years.
