Mineral corporation proposal on the table 

PANAJI: As there is no clarity on the Centre agreeing to Goa’s demand for an amendment to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, to break the mining deadlock, the state government is seriously considering forming Goa mineral development corporation.

It is learnt that the proposal to form the mineral development corporation is likely to be deliberated at the cabinet meeting, which will be chaired by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday at his private residence in Taleigao.

Reliable sources confirmed to ‘The Navhind Times’ that the move on setting up the corporation has been weighed seriously by  the state government and the cabinet meeting is likely to hammer out a  roadmap.

State leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party have not been forthcoming on the issue as there is no movement at the Centre to push for amendment to the MMDR Act.

Although some BJP legislators, including Power Minister Nilesh Cabral, are not in favour of the corporation, some senior party leaders have opined that the government should work for establishing the mineral development corporation.

The sources are of strong opinion that the Centre disfavours any changes to the MMDR Act, as the mooted amendment will go against the grains of the Modi government’s policy, which has favoured auctioning of natural resources.

But the recent debacle of the BJP in the assembly elections in the five states has put the party in a piquant situation on the issue.

The sources believed that the BJP could push for corporation formation as a political strategy in the state so as to retain Goa’s both parliamentary seats.

However, sources in the state administration said the proposal on the mineral development corporation must be discussed threadbare as the formation would entail technical manpower and finances, which are in short supply after the mining was banned.