Mining barges shifting to Sri Lanka
PTI, PANAJI | 23 October 2012 21:05 IST
Barge owners who used to ferry iron ore from jetties to ports have begun shifting to Sri Lanka, Maharashtra and Gujarat for better avenues after Goa's mining industry was halted due to a Supreme Court order.
Captain of Ports Department, James Braganza told PTI that seven barges have already been shifted outside Goa to places like Sri Lanka, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
He said that his department has received 20 more applications from barge owners to shift out of Goa.
"We have no objection for them to move out, provided they have no-objection certificates from banks and labour commission," he said.
Goa has around 400 barges which ferried ore from jetties to Mormugao Port Trust and Panaji Port, using inland waterways.
The state is the biggest exporter of iron ore with almost 43 million metric tonnes of ore exported during the last fiscal.
The Supreme Court has halted extraction and transportation of ore due to the Justice M B Shah Commission report which pointed out gross illegalities.
