Sarpanchs of Goa appeal to PM Modi: Save our livelihood

Goa: Goa sarpanches have appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to save their livelihood by resuming iron ore mines that have been closed for five years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 19th is coming to Goa for 60 years of Goa’s Liberation Day.

More than 20 sarpanches of Goa’s mining belt have reportedly written a letter to PM Modi in November 2021, saying that more than five lakh people in Goa were fully dependent on mining for their livelihood but mining is completely closed since 2018. Due to this, the right of livelihood given to the citizens under the Constitution is also in danger.

Sarpanch Surya Naik reportedly said that Goa had nominated Shri Narendra Modi as Prime Minister in 2013, now Modi ji should resume mining and give a return gift to Goa. We want that mining should resume in Goa this time before the elections. Another Sarpanch Siddharth Desai says that tourism is almost closed in Goa for the last two years due to covid and common people have no work as well as there is no source of income due to the closure of mining. In such a situation, our appeal to PM Modi is to save our livelihood.

In the letter written to the PM, the Sarpanches have said that we have apprised all representatives of the state many times about our helplessness and situation. Since the closure of mining from the year 2018, we are constantly talking to the state government and other stakeholders so that mining can be resumed. We have been told that a way out can be found both through parliamentary and legal means. We have also appealed to Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant ji to take initiative in this regard. But now we are getting frustrated and there is no hope. Only you can save us from this.

It is written in the letter that as Goa elections are going to be held next year, we want your party to come to power again but till this process is done, we the villagers of Goa and 5 lakh people who have lost our livelihoods appeal to solve the problem of our bread and butter. Both the central and state government are fully aware of the whole matter. We appeal to you again that this is the right time when you can save millions of lives by resuming mining in Goa on time.

It is worth noting that since the year 2018, the then Parrikar government has completely banned iron ore mining in Goa and now this matter is also legally stuck in the Supreme Court. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said that he wants to start 8 mines by forming a mining corporation but more than 300 mines are closed in Goa. Many people are raising the question that the problems of livelihood will not be solved by starting only 8 mines. Along with this, even if the Mining Corporation gives permission, it will take at least two to three years to resume mining.

Those who signed the letter includes Village Panchayat Rivona, Village Panchayat Bhati, Village Panchayat Seldem, Village Panchayat Kardi. More than 20 sarpanches, including village panchayat Uradi, have signed. There are 40 gram panchayats in Goa through which the local administration is run. In Goa, development work is done only through the local mineral fund, but due to the closure of mining, development has come to a standstill.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party has given an election slogan that if they come to power, they will resume mining in six months, but Claude Alvares of Goa Foundation, who fought a legal battle against mining, says that they are fooling people, at least in Goa. Mining cannot start for two years. meanwhile, Mining is also becoming an election issue in Goa. Electoral issues separate from the ground.

People in Goa are troubled by unemployment, slowdown and lack of development, but the issue is being made out of corruption and the mining scam of 35 thousand crores as mentioned in the Shah Commission report ten years ago.

TMC has tossed a jumla of 35 thousand crores on the persuasion of Goa Foundation, an NGO based in Goa. People are being told that if this money is recovered by the government, then every household of Goa will get Rs 3 lakh. But let us tell you the reality that this too is like a jumla of fifteen lakh rupees in every account.

In Goa in 2012, BJP surrounded the Congress on the basis of Justice MB Shah’s report. BJP had accused of scam of 35 thousand crores on the basis of Shah Commission report but when Manohar Parrikar of BJP himself came to power, he got trapped. Then Parrikar himself said that there was a loss of about 3 thousand crores, not 35 thousand crores. Parrikar also formed a committee of chartered accountants to investigate this, which told that in reality this figure is not even 300 crores, that too loss of revenue. The extent of revenue loss has not yet been estimated properly in ten years. But once again an attempt is being made to mislead the public in the elections.

TMC has raised this issue but BJP or Congress is not able to counter it. Congress has given slogan to make Lokayukta in Goa, BJP is talking of development. The condition on the ground is that the unemployment rate in Goa is going up to 11 percent and people suffering from Corona do not have money. Obviously political parties are not able to hold ground yet. On the other hand, the talk of lockdown has started again. Ashraf, who drives a taxi in Goa, says that this time if the lockdown happens again, we will be ruined.