Team Herald
PANJIM: As the winter session of Parliament is likely to be summoned this month, State BJP leaders on Friday called on their party President Amit Shah in Delhi pressing for the introduction of amendments to the Acts which will ensure resumption of iron ore mining activities in Goa.
The Goa government has sought amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act (MMDR) and Goa, Daman and Diu Mining Concessions (Abolition and Declaration as Mining Leases) Act, 1987, so as to extend the life of the leases till 2037. The file, which was moved to the Union Mines Ministry in September, is currently pending with the Attorney General of India.
Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar, South Goa Lok Sabha MP Narendra Sawaikar along with Speaker Pramod Sawant met Shah in Delhi. They also met Union Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who is a member of the Group of Ministers (GoM), formed to handle the mining matter.
Shah has assured the delegation that the Central government is working in the direction to introduce the amendments in the coming session of the Parliament.
Speaking to Herald, Sawant said, “We had a meeting with our national president for almost 20 minutes during which the issue of resumption of mining was discussed. Shah has instructed the ministers in GoM on mining to take up the issue during the next Parliament Session,” he said. The GoM is chaired by Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari.
When contacted, Tendulkar said the Centre is sensitive towards the sufferings of the people of Goa and committed to re-start mining activities in the State.
Goa Mining People’s Front (GMPF), an umbrella organisation of the dependents, has been demanding that mining activity resume at the earliest. They have already petitioned various ministers in the Central cabinet on this.
Iron ore mining activities in Goa have been shut since March, following a Supreme Court order that quashed and set aside renewals of 88 leases. As per government estimates, the closure has rendered over one lakh people jobless, while the State finances have been hit by Rs 3500 crore.
—
BJP chief tells min to resolve mining crisis
NEW DELHI: BJP president Amit Shah on Friday directed Union Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to examine ways for resumption of iron ore mining in Goa.
He also directed the Goa leaders who called on him to discuss the issue and explain to Tomar on Saturday how the Portuguese time mining rules can help resolve the crisis.
The State leaders told him there was tension building up because of a sit-in staged by the affected mining workers in the state capital.
