PANJIM: Rajya Sabha MP Shantaram Naik has said that the BJP government in Goa is solely responsible for the problems of mining workers and the sufferings of mining dependents as, it is a BJP government which issued the first order of closer of mines on September 10, 2012.
Initiating a discussion on the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2016 on Monday in the Rajya Sabha, Mr. Naik said during the period when Congress was ruling the State, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who was then the leader of opposition in the Goa Assembly repeatedly charged that Congress leaders were indulging in illegal mining.
However, Naik said, when the BJP came to power, Parrikar as chief minister said no member of the present Assembly or the previous Assembly were involved in illegal mining.
Naik said provisions of the Amendment Bill moved in the House, were substantially the same which he had suggested as a member of Select Committee on the Bill but, at that time, the chairman did not accept his suggestion, however, he was happy that the same provisions are finding a place in the Amendment Bill.
Naik said that the Government should have introduced the full-fledged Bill consisting of 139 Clauses and 3 Schedules, prepared by the previous government, and that, it is unfortunate that a small Bill for limited purpose has been moved by the Minister.
