The primary sector of the State, whose contribution to the State Gross Domestic Product (GSDP) has witnessed a sharp decline in the past few years, continues to be reeling under the pressure of mining indicating its importance in Goa’s economy despite claims to replace it with an alternative industry like agriculture. That however remains a distant dream.
The Economic Survey 2018-19 tabled during the recently held State Legislative Assembly Session has indicated the primary sector is reflecting the happenings in the mining industry, which has been battling a Supreme Court order.
Government figures clearly indicates that turmoil in Goa’s iron ore mining industry has led the primary sector tumbling to negative growth and so also decline in its contribution to GSDP between 2013-14 till 2016-17- the two-year long period when the industry was shut.
This worry looms large this financial year also, since the industry witnessed a total shut down owing to Supreme Court order.
“The growth rate under primary sector, which was around 10 per cent during 2013-14 (provisional), fell drastically to minus (-) 16.44 per cent during 2014-15,” the Economic Survey report 2015-16 had stated.
As per the latest Economic Survey report 2018-19, the growth rate over the previous year under the sector was 0.03 percent during the period 2014-15 due to impact on mining sector. Thereafter, in 2015-16 to 2016-17, the growth rate improved to 8.59 percent and 9.8 percent respectively, which was mainly due to the resumption in mining and quarrying activity.
What is interesting to note is the sub-sectors of mining, livestock, forestry and logging and fishing and aquaculture have registered an increase in the growth rate, while the crops (agriculture) recorded a negative trend in its growth rate.
It is important to note; the Government made no efforts to promote agriculture to reduce primary sector’s dependence on mining.
“it is not that easy to convert the dependence or to identify an alternative to mining, which contributes nearly Rs 1500 crore to State revenue annually. Without mining, there cannot be a primary sector,” mine owner Harish Melvani said.
It is unfortunate that government did nothing to minimize the dependence on mining, Melvani said adding ‘it is not going to be an easy task and hence government has to ensure immediate resumption of mining activities’.
