Goa MPs meet Shah, discuss mining ban

Three BJP Goa MPs met the party's national president Amit Shah in the national capital on Tuesday and discussed the Supreme Court-imposed mining ban in the coastal state which is slated to come into effect from Thursday.

Speaking to IANS from Delhi, South Goa BJP MP Narendra Savoikar said that Shah had promised the MPs to study the matter after speaking to officials of all concerned government departments and arrive at a possible solution to the crisis.

"Myself, Shripad Naik and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar spoke to our national president and apprised him of the situation arising from the Supreme Court-imposed ban on mining. He has promised to speak to officials from concerned departments and look at possible solutions," Savoikar said.

In its order last month, the apex court ordered the stoppage of mining activity in 88 mining leases in Goa from Friday and has directed the state government to issue fresh leases, after completing the necessary environment-related formalities.

The ban has triggered chaos in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party as well as its ruling alliance parties -- Goa Forward and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party -- with several BJP legislators accusing both the coalition government and the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre of not doing enough to come to the aid of more than one lakh people dependant on the mining industry who are likely to suffer from its temporary closure.

The BJP as well as the ruling coalition allies have been demanding that instead of allotting fresh leases, the mining tracts should be allotted to the same mining companies who have been indicted in the Rs 35,000 crore illegal mining scam.