Team Herald
PANJIM: The mining dependents in the State have blamed the Narendra Modi-led government for the current imbroglio stating that the delay by Centre to take a legislative route as a cure in resolving iron ore stalemate, pending from last three years, clearly shows their neglect towards economic welfare of the people from the coastal State.
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The iron ore mining activities in the State are shut since mid-March 2018 after Supreme Court set aside renewals granted to 88 mining leases terming it as “illegal”.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, the Goa Mining People’s Front (GMPF), has raised concerns that their livelihood is being ignored by the Central government by delaying Legislative cure to restart mining in Goa.
“The State government has already proposed to the Central government for Legislative amendment as a cure to resolve mining stalemate in the State with resolution from all 40 MLAs. However, the matter is currently left to the mercy of Judiciary and is currently dragged in the Supreme Court without a single hearing till date,” GMPF President Puti Gaonkar said.
He said that the delay from the Central government to take a legislative route as a cure in resolving the crisis only goes to show the neglect towards economic welfare of Goa.
“We are very much pained to see how the concerned authorities are displaying sheer neglect to the livelihood of common mining dependents and shown their ignorance to us on zero efforts for a solution,” Gaonkar said.
The union leader pointed out that in the past 36 months, the GMPF left no stone unturned to sensitise everyone that Legislative cure is the only way out which was reiterating the State’s proposal to the Central government.
“We represented several times to the Prime Minister and the concerned ministries requesting reconsideration on amendments to The Goa Daman Diu Concession Abolition Act, 1987 to make it prospective so that Goa mining leases are valid till 2037. Neither Central government is doing anything in this matter to take up Legislative route nor State government is able to persuade the Central government,” he lamented.
“Apart from Rs10,000 crore revenue loss, the mining ban is not only taking toll on the livelihood of Goans but is also badly impacting the socio-economic thread of the State,” Gaonkar said.
