Panaji: The people dependent on mining industry on Thursday urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene on priority to help the resumption of mining activity in the coastal state.
Goa Mining People’s Front (GMPF), an umbrella organisation, has made an appeal to the Union home Minister Amit Shah to intervene on priority in helping the resumption of mining activities in Goa by convening urgent meeting of the Group of Ministers on Goa Mining issue.
“This would help sustain lakhs of innocent livelihoods and provide a strong revitalizing boost to the state’s ailing economy. The GMPF has also sought an early appointment for a delegation under leadership of Chief Minister of Goa CM Pramod Sawant to meet Shah so that they may present their case to him again,” GMPF President Puti Gaonkar has said in the appeal.
It may be recalled that a meeting between Shri Amit Shah and GMPF was held in January this year.
“The complete shutting down of the mining industry in the state close to two years back has had a devastating effect on the livelihoods of the mining dependent populace and other related entities. This has severely impacted the state’s economy and resulted in a heavy drain on the revenues of Goa when such an economic downturn is most unwelcome,” Gaonkar said.
He said that Lakhs of Goans who have been dependent on the mining industry for their livelihood It is also a matter of great hope for us to know that the Home Minister has asked the Mines Ministry to revisit this issue and come back with a positive outlook and solution.
“We were hoping as per information provided by the State that a follow up meeting would have been held by July 31, 2019 however no such meeting has taken place and therefore we request the Home Minister to Kindly convene a meeting of the Group of Ministers on the Goa Mining issue at the earliest,” he said in an appeal.
The mining industry in Goa has come to standstill since March 2018 after Supreme Court quashed 88 mining leases.
