the goan I network
PANAJI
A delegation of the Goa Mining People’s Front (GMPF) on Tuesday met Goa Governor Mridula Sinha and requested her, as the head of state, to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ask him to sort out the mining imbroglio in the state.
“We met the governor today for half an hour. We asked that as head of state, she meet the PM and ask for an amendment to the law,” president of the GMPF Puti Gaonkar told the 200 odd mining dependents gathered at Azad Maidan on Tuesday morning in protest.
Gaonkar expressed confidence that the Prime Minister, in conference with the Minister for Mines, could sort out the mining issue in Goa, and restart mining at the earliest. He expressed that as Union Minister Suresh Prabhu had already co-operated with the GMPF, he hoped the government at the Center would co-operate.
Goankar also requested the government not to test the patience of the mining dependents, whom till this point had been agitating peacefully. He expressed skepticism that Chief Minister Parrikar had written to the center in September, asking for an amendment to the Act. “If the CM had indeed written to the Center in September, shouldn’t the center have approved the amendment to the Act?” questioned Gaonkar.
The GMPF is convinced that an amendment to the Act that allows for mining leases to be renewed till 2037, is the only solution to the crises being faced by mining dependents. The GMPF will protest in New Delhi on December 11, 12 and 13 in Jantar Mantar.
Gaonkar informed the agitators that he had met additional secretary to the PM, Sharma, last week. “Sharmas told me that our file hasn’t yet reached the PM. We later met the Mines Minister. There are lots of vested interests which is why mining is not resuming,” said Gaonkar. “We know that the files are purposely not being processed,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Goa Mining People’s Front (GMPF) was backed by the Shiv Sena, who assured the dependents that the party would bring up the mining issue in Parliament. “We will bring up the issue in Parliament for you. We will not be behind you for this issue. We will be in front of you.” a Shiv Sena leader told the protesters.
The Shiv Sena meanwhile slammed all the three Goa Members of Parliament (MPs) for promising that mining would restart shortly for months on end now, without any proper resolution to the crises in sight.
