Panaji: Even as the people dependent on mining industry will begin their three day long protest in Delhi from December 11 onwards, Union Minister Suresh Prabhu has assured the protestors to explore the possibility of taking up the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Prabhu, who was in Goa to participate in the Global Venture Summit, on Friday night assured the leaders of Goa Mining People’s Front to explore the possibility of taking delegation of stakeholders and political parties to PM over the issue.
GMPF is an umbrella organization of mining dependents who have lost their livelihood after Supreme Court verdict in February this year which quashed 88 Iron Ore leases. The entire mining industry has crippled after the SC verdict, which has estimated to have affected more than three lakh people.
The mining dependents have decided to protest at Ram Leela Maidan in Delhi on December 11 and 12 and at Jantar Mantar on December 13 to get national attention towards the issue.
“Prabhu has assured us that he would see the possibility of leading the delegation of all the political parties and stakeholders to the PM to discuss the issue of bringing in amendment to the mining laws so that the activity resumes in the State,” GMPF President Puti Gaonkar said.
Gaonkar, who was the part of the delegation that met Prabhu, said that the union minister was sympathetic towards the demands of the people dependent on mining industry.
“He said that he knows about the problems faced by the people after the industry has come to a standstill. We expect Prabhu to get us audience to the PM so that we can explain him the actual situation and the way out,” Gaonkar said.
BJP leaders including State Unit Chief Vinay Tendulkar has assured that the Amendment to the Mining Laws would be moved during upcoming Parliamentary Session which will extend the life of the mining lease up to the year 2037.
