GMPF says Congress would have facilitate mining in Goa

A year after the Supreme Court passed an order that led to the shutdown of mining operations in Goa, the body representing mining dependents feels that if the Congress was in power in the state, it would have found some solution to the crisis. It also says that the ruling BJP has not done enough to ensure the mining activities resume in the state.

On February 7 last year, the apex court had quashed second renewal of 88 mining leases, bringing to a halt the iron ore extraction industry in the coastal state. Around two lakh people are dependent on this industry. Talking to PTI, Goa Mining People's Front (GMPF) president Puti Gaonkar Friday said the mining operations in Goa would have resumed if the Congress was in power in the state.

"Congress would have worked out a solution for the crisis. Mining would have started if it was in power," he said. The GMPF has organised a candlelight march on Friday evening to mark the completion of one year of the SC verdict.

"The state government can start mining even now... Without doing anything by just interpreting the Supreme Court judgement, they can start mining," he said.

The GMPF leader had recently met Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with the lawmakers from Goa demanding the Centre's intervention on the issue. "I am not at all happy with what the BJP has done in last one year to ensure that the mining resumes. BJP has not done anything concrete to solve the problem. People are being fooled," he said.

"I feel that even Prime Minister was not properly briefed about Goa's side of the issue," Gaonkar added. When asked whether any solution would be worked out, Gaonkar said it was difficult for him to predict.

"But if the BJP wants to retain power, it will have to find out a solution," he said, adding that the GMPF will work against the BJP candidates in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and Shiroda and Mandrem Assembly bypolls, if the party does nothing on that front. "We will tell people whom not to vote. Let people decide whom to vote," he said when asked whether they will campaign for Congress candidates.

(With inputs from agencies.)