PANJIM: People dependent on mining met Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari and Labour Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar demanding an amendment to the Goa Daman and Diu Mining Concession Abolition Act, 1987, which would pave the way for resumption of iron ore activity.
Goa Mining People’s Front delegation led by Puti Gaonkar, who is currently camping in New Delhi, also met Congress National President Rahul Gandhi seeking his support to the demand to amend Section 2 of Goa Daman and Diu Mining Concession Abolition Act, 1987.
Gaonkar said they pleaded for the support of the three leaders for resumption of mining activities. “We have given a memorandum to almost all the MLAs in Goa. They have been requested to pass a resolution on the floor of the House during the upcoming Assembly Session urging the Centre to amend Goa Daman and Diu Mining Concession Abolition Act,” he said.
He said the Centre informed them that a proposal has to come from the State to place it before Parliament. He said that once the resolution is moved, the amendment would be placed in Parliament for which they would need the support of the opposition. “That is why we had gone to meet Gandhi who has assured to discuss the issue with his party MLAs from Goa,” he added.
Gaonkar said that Gandhi told the delegation that Congress MLAs from Goa would be meeting him in the first week of August.
The GMPF delegation that met Gangwar demanded that mining companies be directed to stop retrenching staff. Union AYUSH minister Shripad Naik was present for the meeting with Gangwar.
“Gangwar told us that the issue of retrenchment of the mining staff should be taken up with the State government.”
He also assured to talk to the Goa government to save the mining workers from losing jobs,” he said.
