I think the law has to be changed and for that I will speak to the GoMs. I will try my best to convince the Centre to restart mining activity in the State
- Manohar Parrikar
---------------------------RESOLUTION SEEKS TO ...
>> Make the Act applicable in the State with effect from 1987 instead of 1961
>> It will enable the current mining leases to remain operational up to 2037
>> Will help tide over the State’s financial crisis and the mining dependent people
>> Amend MMDR Act, 1957 in such a way as to give benefit of the 50 year tenure introduced retrospectively in 2015
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RESOLUTION ARCHITECT
>> Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral
IN HIS OPINION
>> Besides offering direct employment, the mining industry has developed secondary and tertiary economic scale, which extended beyond the mining locations in the State
LAMBASTING THE NGOs
>> He wondered whether the NGO was interested to stop only the industrial activity in the State.
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SUPPORT & CAUTION >>
PRATAPSINGH RANE
>> We do not want people to starve or remain unemployed. People have to pay loans. Common man is suffering the most
DIGAMBAR KAMAT
>> All leases in other parts of the country get 50 years. Goa should also get the benefit enjoyed by the entire country
LUIZINHO FALEIRO
>> The decision should be ecologically sustainable and not at the cost of denial of wealth to the people of Goa
REGINALDO LOURENCO
>> There was no doubt that mining had to start but the question was how it should be started.
BABU KAVLEKAR
>> We know there were health concerns of the chief minister but we must put all that behind and work towards restarting of mining
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MAPUSA: The State Legislative Assembly on Friday unanimously passed a resolution urging the Centre to take appropriate steps to amend the Goa, Daman and Diu Mining Concessions (Abolition and Declaration as Mining Leases) Act, 1987 in order to kick start mining in the State.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar assured the House to meet the Group of Ministers (GoMs) set up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and convince them that the condition in Goa was different from that of the other parts of the country.
“I think the law has to be changed and for that I will speak to the GoMs. I will try my best to convince the Centre to restart mining activity in the State,” Parrikar said.
As per the private member’s resolution moved by BJP’s Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral, the amendment seeks to make the Act applicable in the State with effect from 1987 instead of 1961 to enable the current mining leases to remain operational up to 2037 to help to tide over the State’s financial crisis and the mining dependent people.
It also urged the Centre to amend the MMDR Act, 1957 in such a way as to give the benefit of the 50 year tenure introduced retrospectively in 2015 by way of Sec. 8A(3), to the mining concessions in Goa.
While moving the resolution, Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral said besides offering direct employment, the mining industry has developed secondary and tertiary economic scale, which extended beyond the mining locations in the State.
Hitting out at certain NGOs, Cabral wondered whether the NGO was interested to stop only the industrial activity in the State.
“When mining resumed in 2015, the then BJP-led government had brought in various measures to make the State the best regulated industry in the country like online monitoring in production at the plant, online transportation system, GPS system to track the movement of trucks and permit route and speed, registration of traders etc,” he said.
Reading from a prepared text, the Curchorem MLA made a strong case for resumption of mining in the State and expressed hope that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was the only leader who could put the beleaguered industry on track.
Although All Congress MLAs expressed unequivocal support to the resolution for immediate resumption of mining, two legislators, Navelim MLA Luizinho Faleiro and Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginald Lourenco cautioned the government on legal implications of the decision.
Calling for immediate resumption of mining, former chief minister and Congress MLA Pratapsingh Rane said it was important to look at the issue from the common man’s perspective.
“We do not want people to starve or remain unemployed. People have to pay loans. Common man who is suffering the most,” Rane said.
Another former chief minister and Congress MLA Digambar Kamat said the only way out from the mining mess was through legislation.
“All leases in other parts of the country get 50 years. Goa should also get the benefit enjoyed by the entire country,” Kamat said.
Former chief minister and Navelim MLA Luizinho Faleiro said mining should start but any decision should be legally tenable.
“The decision should be ecologically sustainable and not at the cost of denial of wealth to the people of Goa,” Faleiro said.
Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginald Lourenco said there was no doubt that mining had to start but the question was how it should be started.
Leader of opposition Chandrakant ‘Babu’ Kavlekar said there was no point in blaming one another and the focus should be to restart mining immediately.
“A lot of time has passed. Mining should have resumed at least a year back. We know there were health concerns of the chief minister but we must put all that behind and work towards restarting of mining,” Kavlekar said.
Later, the resolution moved by the Curchorem MLA was moved unanimously in the House paving the way for the Centre to amend the Act.
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Just because there is irregularity
we can’t stop total mining: CM
MAPUSA: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar informed the House that State government could have directly approached the Centre on the issue but the resolution was important to get the “sense” of the House. Responding to the concerns of some of the members about illegalities and recovery of dues, the chief minister said all efforts were made to protect the interest of the State.
“We can’t throw out the baby with the bathwater. Just because there is irregularity we can’t stop total mining,” he said.
He said those who had done wrong should be punished but while doing so the common man should not suffer.
It may be recalled the Supreme Court had quashed and set aside renewals granted to 88 mining leases in Goa while directing them to stop the operations after March 15, 2018. Soon after the order, mining operations in the State were suspended.
