the goan I network
PANAJI
Goa Mineral Ore Exporters’ Association (GMOEA), an industry body dedicated to promoting, supporting, protecting, and increasing Goa’s mineral export trade, on Thursday shared its expectations in a ‘Three Point Outline’ from the central government in the year 2020.
In a strongly voiced and forcefully articulated message, the GMOEA underscored the key demands of the mining industry on the eve of the second anniversary of mining stoppage in Goa which was imposed by the Supreme Court in terms of its judgement dated February 7, 2018.
On March 15, 2018, all mining activity in the State effectively ceased, leading to a grinding and crushing halt of mining leases in the state leading to huge cascading economic and social fallback.
Stakeholders involved in machinery, logistics, ports, service sectors, etc and most importantly, the State and central government, have already lost revenue of about Rs 7,000 crore for the last two years of stoppage, approximately to the tune of Rs 3.4 billion (Rs 3,400 crore) every year.
With over 12,000 trucks, 150 barges and ancillary units at a standstill, social and financial stress is a way of life for the support industry, stated the GMOEA in a press release.
The GMOEA claimed that the genuine concerns of the industry should and ought to be addressed at the highest level to not only overcome the adverse impacts on the economy by early resumption of mining, but also to protect the livelihoods of the people.
At a media briefing in New Delhi on Thursday, the GMOEA firmly emphasised its key demands for immediately restarting mining in Goa and restoring the shattered livelihoods of more than 3 lakh mining dependents in the State.
In the first of its ‘Three Point Outline’, the GMOE sought immediate resumption of mining operations in the State by taking necessary policy, legislative or judicial decisions.
Second, they demanded judicious implementation of projects under funds collected.
“All available and designated fiscal assistance package such as the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds, etc, must be judiciously used for providing benefit under PMKKKY scheme to the mining dependents including relief to the helpless families grossly affected,” stated the GMOEA.
Third, GMOEA claimed that Dump Sale is impracticable. “The option of sale of Dumps appears impractical at present due to market requirements of better-quality ores and this move surely does not entirely compensate for loss in employment due to mining stoppage,” claimed GMOEA.
According to GMOEA Honorary Secretary Sauvick Mazumdar, the Goa mining industry has a history of several decades and has contributed immensely to the socio-economic upliftment of communities besides contributing a major share of the state revenue.
“It is indeed unfortunate on the pace of redressal in the mining sector that lakhs of mining dependents are paying with their sanity and patience for no fault of theirs. We implore all the stakeholders to proactively take steps to restore the strength, fortune, and prosperity of Goa at the earliest,” said Mazumdar.
According to a recent report published by Centre for Monitoring of Indian Economy (CMIE), Goa is witnessing its worst phase in terms of employment generation, and rate of unemployment of the state is at 34.5% which is the highest in the country.
As a result of mining stoppage, livelihoods of more than 30% of the state’s population have gone. This includes 70,000 direct employment closures and 2.5 lakh indirect ones. The larger cascading effect has resulted in lakhs of other job losses.
The GMOEA said the mining industry stoppage has led to the stoppage of various people-centric projects, including that of the contribution towards DMF, GIOPF apart from other works undertaken jointly or through MFG, which are funded by Goa’s mining industry resulting in the stalemate to these development activities.Goa’s debt zooms to `19,000 crore due
to mining ban: GMOEA
PANAJI: The Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association (GMOEA) on Thursday said the state’s debt has ballooned to around Rs 19,000 crore on account of mining coming to a halt and stressed on immediate resumption of mining in the coastal state. “The state’s debt was between Rs 13,000-Rs 14,000 crore when mining was stopped. And today, it has reached almost Rs 19,000 crore. In a small state like Goa...debt has increased in the last two years which really shows how mining has affected the state economy,” GMOEA Secretary Sauvick Mazumdar told reporters in New Delhi.
“So overall it is a devastating effect on the economy. and that is why it is very important that mining should be restarted,” he explained.
