GA-MINING-SHAH

BJP chief Amit Shah Sunday met

party MPs from Goa and functionaries of an organisation

fighting for mining dependents to find a solution for the

resumption of the sector, a senior BJP leader said.

The mining sector in Goa came to a standstill in March

last year after the Supreme Court quashed 88 leases and banned

extraction of iron ore.

Goa Lok Sabha MPs Shripad Naik and Narendra Sawaikar

and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar and Goa Mining People's

Front chief Puti Gaonkar met Shah in New Delhi on Sunday, BJP

functionaries said.

Sawaikar said the discussion with Shah was fruitful,

adding that BJP leaders were continuously working to find a

solution to the state's mining sector so that livelihood of

people dependent on it was not affected.

Gaonkar, in a statement, said, "Shah assured that a

solution to the present mining impasse shall be brought about

soon by the Central government."

The GPMF has been demanding that the Centre amend

existing mining laws to provide a new lease of life to the

industry, which employs around two lakh people.