NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday assured the mining dependents that he will try to find some solution to help them.
He, however, gave no timeline for resolving the issue, saying the Centre would find the solution “within the four corners of the law”. Mining operation have been stopped in Goa since March last year and the people affected have been repeatedly assured help by the State government but without a solution yet in sight.
During a 10-minute meeting here with the representatives of the Goa Mining People’s Front (GMPF), along with all three BJP MPs and other party leaders from Goa, the Prime Minister “expressed his concern” over the plight of the mining dependents, Goa BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar said after the meeting.
Union Ayush Minister Shripad Naik said the delegation also urged the Prime Minister to amend the MMDR Act (Mines and Minerals Development Regulation) Act to help restart mining in the State.
None from the partners in the coalition government of Manohar Parrikar turned up at the meeting. Goa Forward’s Vijay Sardessai and Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party’s Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar were also invited to join the delegation, the BJP leaders said. Others in the delegation were Goa Assembly Speaker Pramod Sawant and Goa Ministers Vishwajit Rane and Nilesh Cabral, and MP Narendra Sawaikar.
GPMF president Puti Gaonkar, who had also led some 500 victims for a 3-day dharna in Delhi in December, expressed happiness on a hearing given by the Prime Minister and the assurance to look into the matter.
He tried to impress upon the PM that a solution to the mining crisis can be found legally, Gaonkar said, pointing out that an amendment to the Goa, Daman and Diu Mining Concessions (Abolition and Declaration as Mining Leases) Act could revive the mining leases till 2037.
