My govt will support legal mining: Digambar
PTI, PANAJI | 14 October 2011 20:54 ISTChief Minister Digambar Kamat today said his government would support sustainable and legal mining in the state.
He was reacting to the fear that large number of people depending on mining would lose their livelihood if total ban on mining is imposed.
Kamat told PTI that fears expressed by people about collapse of the economy are genuine only to a certain extent.
"People fear that their livelihood would be affected with ban on mining activity. But state government's stand is clear. We will support sustainable and legal mining in the state," the chief minister stated.
Thousands of people had thronged to Panaji on October 12 demanding assurance from the government that legal mining is not banned in the state.
People dependent on mining like truck operators had apprehended that there would be a total ban on mining after the Shah Commission submits its report.
In the recent past, nearly half of the 90 odd mining leases in the state have been ordered to suspend operations by state and central authorities and the court for various violations.
Kamat said that mining is not new to the state of Goa.
"It has been happening right from the Portuguese time. Now, due to (high) demand for the ore and rate that it fetches, people are digging even in their private properties and extracting ore, which is illegal," he said.
"Government has been taking action against such activity. Even with regard to legal mining, there is an issue of environmental damage. The State government wants to ensure that there is a balance between environment and mining," he added.
Kamat also pointed out that the mining activity is not going to continue for ever as the iron ore reserves are bound to get exhausted.
"We have formulated micro-industrial zones in the Regional Plan in the villages so that people dependent on mining can diversify in other trades," he said.
Regional Plan 2021 is a land use plan notified by the state government for all the 12 talukas.
Kamat said that once there is sufficient industrial growth in these areas, people will have an option to the mining activity.
Regional Plan 2021 is a land use plan. Is it for use of the land surface? What about underground use?
What is sustainable mining? Is the present level of Mining sustainable for this small State?
What about the meager amount of Royalty vis a vis the huge money pocketed by the miners? The huge multiplication of their assets--would speak for this...
What about the nuisance caused to the people and the various other hazards faced by the State...?
Who has given us the right to exploit the Natural resources of the State for personal greed--without the State being compensated properly? Are we not consuming the resources which belong to future generations?
Why no clear cut ban on any further ore prospecting licences is imposed? Is the lure for easy wealth is so difficult to overcome?
Sir, enough damage has already been caused to this small State and it's natural resources have already been over exploited...You will do a great service to this State and the future generations if you put a complete moratorium on giving new licences for ore prospecting...Let the new 623 new applications reported to be lying with Mining Department be scrapped without any further delay....That would be a great service to the State and it's people.....