Mining was an important livelihood in Goa that came to a standstill after a Supreme Court order in 2018, as the issue of illegal mining was under litigation. During an event at Ponda assembly constituency the Union Home Minister Amit Shah had announced that if the BJP wins in Goa, mining will start at double force through a transparent auction process. Already BJP is in power for the last 10 years. Mining was the largest employment generator in Goa. The lack of monitoring and oversight at the ground level by the State governments led to irregularities and poor implementation of mining laws. The mining ban in Goa has caused a loss to the State’s economy, and led to large-scale unemployment. The issue of mining is debated widely but the wait continues for political parties to come up with a transparent, legalised mining model.
