Panaji: A Group of Ministers (GoM) has been formed to examine vexed issue of mining in Goa, according to the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told reporters late on Friday.
“The GoM includes Union Ministers for Finance, Environment, Agriculture, Mining, Commerce & Industries, Petroleum and Law. The GoM is lead by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah,” Sawant told reports late of Friday.
Arriving from a two-day visit to the national capital, Sawant told reporters at the Dabolim International Airport here that he expected a positive outcome from the process initiated on Friday. “The development will surely yield positive results,” the chief minister said.
“We hope for something positive about mining. Our party President and Home Minister has taken the initiative and formed a group of ministers to examine the issue and find ways and means to restart mining,” Sawant said.
“All the seven ministries and their respective secretaries were present at the meeting,” Sawant said.
The next meeting of the Group of Ministers is expected to be held next week, the Chief Minister also said. Amit Shah has asked the Mines Ministry to submit a report on the functioning of the mining industry in Goa within eight days
The mining issue has been hanging fire in Goa every since the apex court banned extraction and transportation of iron ore from 88 mining leases from March 2018, while also directing the state government to re-issue mining leases. This is the second time in less than a decade that all mining in the state has come to a standstill.
While the state government is keen on renewing the mining leases of the existing leaseholders, the Central government’s major minerals mining policy advocates auctioning of all natural resources. According to experts, Goa expects is expects to reap rich returns by renewing the mining leases and the hence the chief minister is taking the matter up to the central level to end the deadlock.
“Goa has requested the Union government to intervene immediately and work out some steps to ensure that mining activity resumes,” the chief minister said, adding a follow-up meeting will be held after eight days when the report is ready.
“After the next meeting we will have some idea about the Centre’s plan to address the issue,” he added.