Panaji | Two days ahead of a protest by Goa mining dependents in New Delhi, a state minister said such stirs would not help in finding a solution to the issue.
Mining in Goa came to a standstill in March this year after the Supreme Court quashed 88 mining leases and banned the extraction of fresh ore. Goa Mining People’s Front, an umbrella organisation of mining dependents, had in November announced that it would hold a protest between December 11-13 in Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan and Jantar Mantar.
Speaking on the issue Sunday, Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said, “A solution to the (mining) issue has to come through discussions at government to government level.” He said Goa Chief Minister Parrikar was in touch with “certain people” in Delhi to ensure mining resumes in the state.
“Being an MLA from the mining belt, I have sympathy for the mining dependents and their interests should be protected. I have said CM Manohar Parrikar and the state government will have to work out a solution,” he said. Rane said there were “two-three options” on the issue before the government and he expressed confidence that a solution would be found.
He said the discussions on Goa mining would restart once results of polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram are declared on December 11. He said BJP leaders were busy with poll campaigning all this while.
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