MAPUSA
Power Minister Nilesh Cabral on Saturday said the issue was not whether iron ore mining could start this season or not, but the focus was to bring required legislative changes to re-start mining in Goa.
“First, the legislation has to be made. It is not that we want to start mining just now or tomorrow. The point is mining has to start and for that reason, curative legislation has to come,” Cabral said.
The power minister was speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a function to inaugurate tourist information centre, toilet blocks
and changing room facility
in Baga.
Continuing, Cabral said once adequate steps were taken to bring the required legislative changes, individual mine owners could start mining by obtaining required permissions.
“Mine owners have to do required paperwork. If somebody has got all permissions, he can start iron ore mining tomorrow. If they have the environment clearances, they can start tomorrow,” he said.
“But for that to happen, the legislative changes required to see that ore mining starts in Goa, is what we are focusing on,” he added.
He said Speaker Dr Pramod Sawant, State BJP President and Rajya Sabha MP, Vinay Tendulkar and South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar had a fruitful engagement with Union Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and national party president Amit Shah
on Friday.
“I couldn’t meet Amit Shah as I had to rush to Goa to attend an important board meeting. But the other three State leaders met and spoke to Tomar and Shah about finding a practical solution to iron ore mining imbroglio in the State,” he said.
He said after the Diwali festival, he would personally follow up the ore mining issue with the central leaders. “We have got a positive feedback. Now, we have to do a constant follow up. We have decided that every week one from among the four will follow up the matter with the central leaders,” he said.
The power minister said that they also met the union law minister and apprised him about the need to find a legislative way out on the issue.
“Very soon, I will write a letter to the union law minister briefing him about what is required for the State to resume mining in order to prepare the legislation,” Cabral said.
He said the government was focusing on bringing the legislative bill in Parliament, which is expected to meet for the winter session in the first week of December.
