PolyMAAG requests the intervention of the Hon’ble Chief Minister and Hon’ble Prime Minister to resolve the Goa Mining Stalemate.
Polytechnic Mining Alumni Association of Goa (PolyMAAG), the pre-eminent body of mining engineers in the state of Goa has appealed to the Central government to consider mining stalemate in Goa as a grave matter and take immediate and necessary steps to ensure resumption of mining operations in the state. The confidence of mining professionals, other dependents and the allied businesses has weakened because of two successive bans in the past decade. PolyMAAG has urged Dr. Pramod Sawant, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Goa to completely resolve the issue with immediate intervention from Centre.
People impacted by the sudden stoppage of mining activities are struggling with no source of livelihood for past 3 years and their future is looking bleak with each passing day. Resumption of mining activities would not only provide avenues of income and livelihood to the State Population but also help in providing much needed revenue to the State Exchequer. Due to uncertainty in this particular industry aspiring professionals are reluctant to opt for pursuing degree in Mining. We urge the Government to bring in Suitable policy reforms in order to revive the industry and Promote ease of doing business.
The present Covid pandemic has created a greater challenge for Goa which was already staring at an economic downturn due to stoppage of mining industry and rising State debt levels. The mining industry in the state due to its unique characteristic of being self-reliant in terms of labour, employees, machinery, equipment, etc. is best placed to step into this Socio- Economic vacuum and give much needed relief to the state exchequer.
Commenting on the need to resume mining in Goa, Mr. Raju Salgaonkar, President of, PolyMAAG said, “We, the mining engineers who have spent our professional life toiling and giving back to the economy of the state are members of PolyMAAG. We have been at the forefront in the efforts to resume mining in the state of Goa; whether it is to be successfully conducting an impactful seminar in August 2018 or being a part of various delegations, which have represented the case of Goa mining at various levels in state or Centre. PolyMAAG has been constantly striving to advocate the need of mining resumption at the earliest. The Iron ore Mining industry in the State supports more than 60,000 direct and indirect jobs with more than 3, 00,000 people in the state-dependent upon the mining industry for their livelihoods generation and fulfillment. We, therefore, request the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri. Narendra Modiji to resume mining through the means as suggested by the State Government in its communication to the Centre. The revival of the mining industry is of utmost importance to bring in Economic stability for the state economy”
Mining in the state of Goa came to an abrupt halt in the month of March 2018 subsequent to the order from the honorable Supreme Court. This has resulted in the livelihoods of more than 300000 Goans being affected. By various estimates, the state of Goa has faced a loss of more than 10,000 crores in the last three years due to the stoppage of the mining industry, while our nation has lost around two Billion Dollars of valuable foreign exchange that the states mining industry used to generate from its exports.