the goan I network
PANAJI
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday said his government will not close down any option in its goal to find a way to re-commence mining operations in the state.
“None of the options will be shut. I am currently holding consultations with stakeholders and I will meet the PM only after the state’s strategy is confirmed,” Parrikar said on the sidelines of the function where he launched the integration of Goa Employment Exchange with the National Career Services portal.
He was responding to a query from the media whether the state will exercise the option of filing a review petition in the Supreme Court to restart mining.
“We will take the strategy that will yield the quickest route to restarting mining,” Parrikar said, adding that his government was currently in discussion with stakeholders.
He said, reports that mining companies had resorted to mass retrenchments are false, adding that in the monsoons, operations routinely come to a halt and workers were not coming to work at the mines because of the seasonal break.
Mining dependents have been up in arms over the loss of employment triggered by the Supreme Court verdict which held all iron ore mining leases in Goa invalid and ordered a halt to all extraction, transportation and trading activity in March this year.
The apex court also directed the Centre and the State to formulate a new policy for granting fresh leases through the auction route to restart the mining industry.
