Tell Amit Shah to resume mining or you will resign: GMPF to MLAs
TNN | Updated: Feb 9, 2019, 07:27 IST
Around 2,000 people participated in the rally, which commenced at Azad Maidan and ended at Campal ground, on FridayPANAJI: Two days after a delegation of mining dependents and MPs from Goa met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, mining dependants under the banner Goa Mining Peoples’ Front (GMPF) held a candlelight rally in Panaji on Friday and demanded that BJP MLAs tell their national president Amit Shah that they will resign if the mining issue is not resolved.
“We have also called for a bandh in the Bicholim, Sattari, Dharbandora, Quepem and Sanguem talukas’ mining belt on February 28,” President GMPF Puti Gaonkar said.
Around 2,000 dependants, determined at stepping up the pressure on the government to resume mining operation in the state, participated in the rally, which was started from Azad Maidan and culminated at the Campal ground.
It is now one year since the Supreme Court ordered the closure of the mining industry in the state on February 7.
President of GMPF, Puti Gaonkar said that that they would not disturb the BJP karyakarta meeting on Thursday, which will be addressed by Shah. “We have not asked BJP workers who are mining dependants to boycott the meeting,” Gaonkar said, adding that party workers and MLAs who have been affected by the closure of the industry should ask Shah when mining will restart.
“BJP MLAs should tell Shah that if mining is not restarted then the party will not succeed at the next election and that they will resign as MLAs,” Gaonkar said.
BJP MLAs had assured mining dependants that they would resign if the state’s mining issue was not resolved.
GMPF has called a meeting on February 14 at Usgao to which mining belt MLAs and ministers have been invited.
Gaonkar added that they told Modi that auctioning of mining leases and formation of a corporation will not work in Goa. He also said that Union mines ministry Narendra Singh Tomar’s statement that the government will auction mining leases and that there was no need for environmental clearance has led them to believe that there is a conspiracy to allot mining leases to a particular person or company.
“If the government wants to file a review petition in the Supreme Court, then why did they not do so one year ago,” Gaonkar said.
“We have also called for a bandh in the Bicholim, Sattari, Dharbandora, Quepem and Sanguem talukas’ mining belt on February 28,” President GMPF Puti Gaonkar said.
Around 2,000 dependants, determined at stepping up the pressure on the government to resume mining operation in the state, participated in the rally, which was started from Azad Maidan and culminated at the Campal ground.
It is now one year since the Supreme Court ordered the closure of the mining industry in the state on February 7.
President of GMPF, Puti Gaonkar said that that they would not disturb the BJP karyakarta meeting on Thursday, which will be addressed by Shah. “We have not asked BJP workers who are mining dependants to boycott the meeting,” Gaonkar said, adding that party workers and MLAs who have been affected by the closure of the industry should ask Shah when mining will restart.
“BJP MLAs should tell Shah that if mining is not restarted then the party will not succeed at the next election and that they will resign as MLAs,” Gaonkar said.
BJP MLAs had assured mining dependants that they would resign if the state’s mining issue was not resolved.
GMPF has called a meeting on February 14 at Usgao to which mining belt MLAs and ministers have been invited.
Gaonkar added that they told Modi that auctioning of mining leases and formation of a corporation will not work in Goa. He also said that Union mines ministry Narendra Singh Tomar’s statement that the government will auction mining leases and that there was no need for environmental clearance has led them to believe that there is a conspiracy to allot mining leases to a particular person or company.
“If the government wants to file a review petition in the Supreme Court, then why did they not do so one year ago,” Gaonkar said.
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