BLURB
CM announced the meeting after a delegation of the Goa Mining People's Front, representing erstwhile workers, truckers and barge operators in the mining sector met him to discuss resolving the imbroglio
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PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has scheduled a meeting next week to explore resolution of the iron ore mining stalemate where chief secretary Parimal Rai, Goa's Advocate General Devidas Pangam and the Mines Secretary will attend.
Sawant announced the meeting after a delegation of the Goa Mining People's Front, representing erstwhile workers, truckers and barge operators in the mining sector met him to discuss resolving the imbroglio.
GMPF's president, Puti Gaonkar held talks with Sawant on Friday and after the meeting, the Chief Minister said their suggestions to restart mining will be examined at the meeting next week.
In a breather to the industry, the Supreme Court had earlier this week allowed transportation of already extracted iron ore.
The Apex Court passed the orders to permit transportation from mining lease areas to loading points on a petition filed by a mining company.
Reacting to the order, Sawant had said it paves way for some four million tons of royalty-paid ore to be traded and transported and thus igniting activity in the halted mining sector.
GMFP however is seeking full-fledge recommencement of the industry which is at a grinding halt for over two years since the Apex Court struck down all leases in March 2018.
Earlier too in 2012, mining had been banned by the top court after the Shah Commission blew the lid over an alleged Rs 35,000-crore scam.
It resumed in 2015 only to be halted again with the apex court order in 2018, citing illegalities in renewal of 88 mining leases by the State government.
