the goan I network
PANAJI
Mining dependents under the banner of the Goa Mining Peoples’ Front (GMPF) on Friday held an hour-and-a-half long candlelight rally to mark one year since the Supreme Court judgement that led to the stopping of mining in the State and the subsequent loss of livelihoods of lakhs of people.
The candlelight procession that started at Azad Maidan at around 6 in the evening saw over a thousand mining dependents and their supporters join in. Many of the protestors were wearing black GMPF shirts with the wordings “Mining Dependent - #StartGoaMining.” The procession moved from Azad Maidan to Miramar circle, and back to Campal ground where it concluded.
President of the GMPF, Puti Gaonkar expressed that though the Chief Minister promised to solve the issue, even after a year, nothing has been done.
When asked about what transpired at the meeting with the Prime Minister in Delhi a couple of days ago, Goankar told ‘The Goan’, “The Prime Minister initially told us the government could not interfere as the judgement had come from the Supreme Court. But I then explained to him that Goa’s case was different from the rest of the country. We have the Goa, Daman and Diu Mining Concession Abolition Act 1987 which we want amended. I submitted a detailed legal note to him in this regard.”
Gaonkar also said that to him it appeared as if the PM didn’t know the nitty-gritties of the Act concerning Goa
too well.
“He didn’t seem properly informed about this aspect. He hasn’t assured us that the amendment would be made, nor did he tell me by which date a solution would be made known,” said Gaonkar.
“If there is no amendment announced by February 13, when Parliament concludes, we will work against the BJP in the upcoming elections,” he said, adding that the GMPF would also have a public meeting in Usgao on February 14.
Gaonkar also said that he had told the PM that all other parties were willing to support the government if it is willing to bring about an amendment as auction or a corporation were not feasible solutions for Goa.
Meanwhile, Subhash Velingkar, president of the Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) while addressing the dependents told them that he supported them completely and that it appeared as though the government was lying about a solution.
“Even the PM did not promise a solution. He said he would look into the matter, and not that he would solve the problem,” said Velingkar.
