THE GOAN NETWORK
MARGAO
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi back in the saddle at the Centre, Chief Minster Pramod Sawant on Sunday said he would be going back to the national capital soon to take up the mining issue with the Prime Minister for redressal.
Sawant further said that the question whether Union Minister Shripad Naik would retain his slot in the Union Council of Ministers lies in the hands of the PM, reminding that Modi has already made it amply clear that no one should claim for any Ministry and the deserving would get a slot in the Council of Ministers.
During a short interaction with the media on the sidelines of the 20th Charter Day Celebrations of Rotary Club of Margao Midtown on Sunday evening, the CM who had just returned from New Delhi, said he had gone to the national capital to wish the PM after the landslide victory in the Lok Sabha election.
Asked whether Shripad Naik will get a slot in the Union Cabinet this time round, Sawant said it is solely in the hands of the PM.
“The PM has already made it clear that MPs should not stake any claim for the Ministry. Whoever is capable will get a slot in the Union Council of Ministers," he said, saying the Prime Minister will take a call on his team at the centre.
On the burning issue of mining, Sawant said that he would soon go back to New Delhi to discuss the issue with Modi.
In the run up to the LS polls during an interaction with South Goa BJP workers via video conferencing on January 20, Modi had promised the people of Goa that efforts are underway to work out a solution to the mining crisis plaguing the state, going to the extent of saying that the Centre will not lag behind in resolving the crisis at the earliest.
In fact, the PM had suo moto touched upon the sensitive issue before taking up questions from the party workers, drawing a huge round of applause from the party workers from South Goa.
“People of Goa have concerns about mining. And their concern is genuine. We are trying to find out a solution to the crisis. Discussions are underway with the concerned people how to address the issue of livelihood of the thousands of mining-dependents,” Modi had assured the party workers during video conferencing.
While pointing out that the issue has arisen after the Judgement of the Supreme Court in the matter, Modi had assured the people that the centre will not lag behind in working out a solution.
“Your concern is our concern and we will work out a solution to the mining issue,” Modi had further assured during video conferencing.
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