The state BJP delegation comprising of Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar, South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar and Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly Dr Pramod Sawant recently called on the party’s national president Amit Shah and Union Minister for Mines Narendra Singh Tomar in New Delhi urging them to provide legislative cure to the Mines and Mineral Development and Regulation (MMDR) Act for resumption of mining activities in Goa.
The delegation first met Shah and briefed him about the situation arising out of mining ban, and the necessity to come up with a legislative cure to the MMDR Act.
“We briefed our party president and Minister for Mines on the mining issue and told them about the prevailing situation in Goa arising out of the mining ban. The delegation also informed Shah about the letter written by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to the Mines Ministry suggesting the need to take a legislative recourse for early resumption of mining activities in the state,” Sawaikar said.
The South Goa MP said that Tomar also assured the delegation that all the required steps would be taken for resumption of mining in the state.
Dr Pramod Sawant said that the central government is keen on restarting mining activity in Goa at the earliest and the process for the same has gained speed. He said that Shah and Tomar have assured them to restart mining at the earliest and added that the related file has been sent to the law department for clearance. “No sooner the law department clears the file, the government will gear up for the further process,” said Sawant. He said that with this assurance mining dependants, who are anxiously waiting for the activity to resume can now heave a sigh of relief ahead of the auspicious festival of Diwali.
Dr Sawant also said that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is in constant touch with Shah and other central leaders of the party for the early resumption of mining activity and to sort out other issues in the state.
Earlier Goa Forward Party chief and Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai had met Union Minister for Commerce and Industries Suresh Prabhu in the national capital urging him to take steps for resumption of mining in the state. Later, the delegation of Goa Mining People’s Front had called on Union minister Nitin Gadkari and other concerned officials on mining issue
