Rupesh Samant

Porvorim, Jul 31: State chief minister Pramod Sawant told the House on Tuesday that state will file review writ petition before the Supreme Court vis-à-vis apex court’s order which had quashed 88 mining leases in Goa.

Speaking while passing of Demands of Grants for Mines department, Sawant said that all the efforts would be made to ensure that the mining resumes in the state.

He said that the state government would file review writ petition before the Supreme Court due to which the industry will resume.

“Actually, we should have filed review writ petition soon after Supreme Court ordered quashing of the mining leases. That did not happen that time, but now we have decided to file it,” he told the House responding to the demands of the members to expedite process to restart the mining activity.

The mining activity has come to a standstill since March 2018 after the SC order affecting the livelihood of around three lakh people in the state.

Sawant also announced that government will offer financial package to those mining employees who have lost their jobs after March 2018.

“We want to offer them minimum Rs 5,000 per month so that they can eke out their living,” the chief minister said adding that around 1,500 people will be benefitted with this scheme (financial scheme).

Sawant warned the mining companies against laying off their staff, claiming that the Iron ore export activity will soon begin in the state.

“The tender of the process to e-auction iron ore will start in the state by August 22 (2019). Around five million tonnes of iron ore would be e-auctioned due to which the mining activity will resume, though fresh extraction will take more time,” he said.

Sawant expected that the e-auctioning will get good response considering the fact that the market rate for the ore has increased.