PANAJI
Polytechnic Mining Alumni Association of Goa (PolyMAAG), the pre-eminent body of mining engineers in the state of Goa has appealed to the Central government to consider mining stalemate in Goa as a grave matter and take immediate and necessary steps to ensure resumption of mining operations in the state. The confidence of mining professionals, other dependents and the allied businesses has weakened because of two successive bans in the past decade. PolyMAAG has urged Pramod Sawant, Chief Minister of Goa to resolve the issue with immediate intervention from Centre.
People impacted by the sudden stoppage of mining activities are struggling with no source of livelihood for past 3 years and their future is looking bleak with each passing day. Resumption of mining activities also help in providing much needed revenue to the State Exchequer. We urge the Government to bring in suitable policy reforms in order to revive the industry and promote ease of doing business.
Commenting on the need to resume mining in Goa, Raju Salgaonkar, President, PolyMAAG said, “We, the mining engineers who have spent our professional life toiling and giving back to the economy of the state are members of PolyMAAG. We have been at the forefront in the efforts to resume mining in the state of Goa; whether it is to be successfully conducting an impactful seminar in August 2018 or being a part of various delegations, which have represented the case of Goa mining at various levels in state or Centre. PolyMAAG has been constantly striving to advocate the need of mining resumption at the earliest. The iron ore mining industry in the State supports more than 60,000 direct and indirect jobs with more than 3, 00,000 people in the state dependent upon the mining industry for their livelihoods. We therefore request the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modiji to resume mining through the means as suggested by the State Government in its communication to the Centre. The revival of the mining industry is of utmost importance to bring in economic stability for the state economy”
Mining in the state of Goa came to an abrupt halt in the month of March 2018 subsequent to the order from the Supreme Court. This has resulted in livelihoods of more than 300,000 Goans being affected. By various estimates, the state of Goa has faced a loss of more than Rs10,000 crores in the last three years due to the stoppage of mining industry, while our nation has lost around two billion dollars of valuable foreign exchange that the state's mining industry used to generate from its exports.
