GA-MINING-COMMISSION

BJP, other parties seek financial aid for mining dependents
    Panaji, Jan 24 (PTI) The ruling BJP in Goa has made a
demand of Rs 300 crore for mining-dependent people before the
15th Finance Commission as their livelihood was affected
following a Supreme Court ban on iron ore extraction.
    Besides the BJP, opposition parties also sought
financial assistance for the mining dependents during the
panel's meetings in the state.
    Iron ore mining in the state came to a standstill
after the Supreme Court quashed 88 mining leases in February
2018.
    The 15th Finance Commission, led by N K Singh, has
started holding a series of meetings in Goa from Thursday.
    In their representations to the commission, the BJP,
the Congress and the Goa Forward Party (GFP) have sought a
financial package for the people affected by the closure of
the mining industry, a key source of goverment revenue.
    Goa BJP president Sadanand Tanavade demanded Rs 300
crore for mining-dependents.
    "At the time it was banned, mining was Goa's largest
industry. This decision had an enormous socio-economic impact.
The economy of Goan state was dependent on mining. More than
60,000 people were employed directly," the BJP representation
states.
    The mining sector, which contributed heavily to the
total non-tax revenue of the state in 2010-11, now accounts
for a negligible share in it, Tanavade said, adding the
closure of mining activities contributed to large-scale
unemployment.
    "It is proposed that Rs 300 crore may be sanctioned
for the state towards the implementation of activities for the
welfare of the affected people till mining operations are
resumed in the state," he added.
    The Congress requested the commission to consider
aspects such as closure of mining and slowdown of tourism
while allotting funds to the state government.
    "With recession in tourism and closure of mines, Goa
is facing an unprecedented economic and social crisis at
present," Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar said.
    The commission must understand that the allocation
for 2020-25 period needs to be absolutely realistic as Goa is
staring at an uncertain future despite generously contributing
to the Centre's revenue in the past 58 years, he said.
    "The formula of allocating grants had never favoured
Goa. The Commission therefore needs to carefully look at
limited resources of the state, record unemployment, collapse
of agriculture and fisheries and rising public debt among
other burning issues," he added.
    The GFP has demanded Rs 6,000 crore as a compensation
for mining-dependents.
    GFP president Vijai Sardesai said the BJP government's
demand of Rs 300 crore is "peanuts".
    "We should ask for more as the money which we are
asking is actually from the royalty that we have paid to the
Centre," he claimed. PTI RPS ARU
RSY RSY

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)