Ponda, Dec 28 (TOI): With no resolution to the mining issue in sight despite several assurances made to them by the state’s politicians across party lines, mining dependants have resolved to display black flags during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Goa on January 12 to inaugurate the third Mandovi bridge in Panaji.

Following a Supreme Court order in February, the mining industry in the state came to a standstill from March 16. Since then, in the last nearly 10 months, mining stakeholders and dependants have been fighting to get operations restarted by putting pressure on the state and central governments to amend the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Act, 1957, to facilitate restarting of the industry.

Earlier this month, nearly a thousand mining dependant individuals from across Goa participated in a three-day sit-in at the national capital to demand urgent steps for restarting iron ore extraction in the state.

Prior to this, on March 21, they had held a massive march in Panaji to protest the closure of mining in Goa, which had brought Panaji to a standstill as over 3,000 protesters blocked the national highway bridges over the Mandovi for over four hours.

“As a last resort, the Goa Mining People’s Front (GMPF) has resolved to greet Prime Minister Narendra Modi with black flags. Over seven to eight thousand mining dependents will protest with black flags along the road to the New Mandovi bridge when the PM arrives to inaugurate it,” president of GMPF, Puti Gaonkar said.

A meeting of key GMFP leaders, held at the Gomantak Vidyalaya campus at Piliyem in Dharbandora in the North Goa mining belt on Thursday, was also attended by Goa Suraksha Manch leader Subhash Velingkar and chief of Shiv Sena Goa, Jitesh Kamat. Gaonkar said during the meeting it was resolved to call for a Goa bandh in protest of the government’s failure to solve the issue, the date for which will be decided after the black-flag protest.