Parrikar seeks Congress support to resume mining in Goa
Panaji, July 26 : Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday appealed to the Congress high command, as well as to the opposition party leaders in Goa to back an amendment to a central act, which will help restart mining in Goa, which has been banned since February this year.
"We can go for a request provided everyone supports and the Congress in Delhi supports. After that I will go to Delhi and talk to the person concerned," the Chief Minister said while replying to a debate on the mining issue.
Parrikar said that the state government would request the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre to amend the Goa, Daman and Diu (Abolition of Concession and Declaration as Mining Leases) Act, 1987, passed by Parliament to bypass the Supreme Court's order and extend the validity of Goa's mining leases.
"It is the only lasting solution," Parrikar said.
The Chief Minister also said that both ruling and opposition parties should come together to amend the central legislation "in the interest of Goa and Goans".
The mining issue has been hanging fire in Goa every since the apex court banned extraction and transportation of iron ore from 88 mining leases from March while also directing the state to re-issue mining leases.
This is second time in less than a decade that all mining activity in the state has come to a standstill.
The 2012 ban was later lifted by the apex court in 2014, but the court was forced to impose fresh restrictions while slighting the state government for messing up with the lease renewal process.
Before Goa was liberated by the Indian armed forces in 1961, mining leases in the state were permanent concessions granted by the Portuguese colonists for exploration and exploitation.
Once India took over the new colony, the Central government via the Goa Daman and Diu (Abolition of Concession and Declaration as Mining Leases) act, 1987, converted the same concessions into mining leases under the Mines and Minerals Development Act, 1954, making them valid for a fixed tenure, which lapsed in 2007.
Though passed by the Parliament in 1987, in case of Goa, a late entrant into the Indian Union, the law was retrospectively brought into effect from 1961, the year Goa was liberated from Portuguese yoke.
The Supreme Court in its February 2018 order has now held that any mining activity carried out since 2007 was illegal.
In his speech in the state assembly on Thursday, Parrikar proposed an amendment to Section 2 of the Act, which is aimed at altering the retrospective date of conversion of concessions to leases from 1961 to 1987, the year when the law was actually passed in Parliament. The amendment, he said, would extend the validity of leases from 2007 to 2045.
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CM, DCM mark 69th Kannada Rajyotsava with festive messages
DCM DK Shivakumar uses Instagram Kannada filter, nominates Speaker UT Khader to continue campaign
Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar shared heartfelt messages on X in celebration of the 69th Kannada Rajyotsava, highlighting the importance of Karnataka’s heritage, language, and culture.
CM Siddaramaiah emphasised that Kannada Rajyotsava is a day for committing to the preservation and growth of Karnataka’s identity, encompassing its people, language, culture, land, and water. He wished all Kannadigas a happy Kannada Rajyotsava, expressing the hope that love and care for Kannada would become a daily celebration. “Best wishes to all Kannadigas on Kannada Rajyotsava. ‘Sirigannadam Gelge, Sirigannadam Balge,’” he shared.
ಕನ್ನಡ ರಾಜ್ಯೋತ್ಸವ ಎಂದರೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಜನ, ಭಾಷೆ, ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿ, ನೆಲ, ಜಲ ಎಲ್ಲವನ್ನೂ ಒಳಗೊಂಡ ಕನ್ನಡತನವನ್ನು ಉಳಿಸಿ-ಬೆಳೆಸುವ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ನಮ್ಮನ್ನು ಸಮರ್ಪಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕಾದ ದಿನ. ಕನ್ನಡದ ಬಗೆಗಿನ ಪ್ರೀತಿ - ಕಾಳಜಿ ಇಂದಿಗಷ್ಟೆ ಸೀಮಿತವಾಗದೆ, ನಮ್ಮೆಲ್ಲರ ಬದುಕಿನ ನಿತ್ಯೋತ್ಸವವಾಗಲಿ.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) November 1, 2024
ಸಮಸ್ತ ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರೆಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ಕನ್ನಡ ರಾಜ್ಯೋತ್ಸವದ… pic.twitter.com/bsy0Fm9y2M
DCM DK Shivakumar celebrated digitally by taking a selfie with the ‘Kannada Filter’ on Instagram, encouraging others to join in. He nominated Speaker U.T. Khader to continue this digital campaign, marking it as a small step to spread Kannada’s glory worldwide. “May the lamp of Kannada shine forever, lighting the way for everyone,” he added.
೬೯ನೇ ಕನ್ನಡ ರಾಜ್ಯೋತ್ಸವವನ್ನು ಡಿಜಿಟಲ್ ರೂಪದಲ್ಲಿ ಆಚರಿಸಲು ನಾನು ಇನ್ಸ್ಟಾಗ್ರಾಂನಲ್ಲಿ ʻಕನ್ನಡ ಫಿಲ್ಟರ್ʼ ಬಳಸಿ ಸೆಲ್ಫಿ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಸಭಾಪತಿಗಳಾದ ಶ್ರೀ ಯು.ಟಿ ಖಾದರ್ ಅವರನ್ನು ಈ ಅಭಿಯಾನವನ್ನು ಮುಂದುವರೆಸಲು ನಾಮಿನೇಟ್ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಕನ್ನಡದ ಗರಿಮೆಯನ್ನು ಜಗದಗಲ ಪಸರಿಸುವ ನಿಟ್ಟಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಇದೊಂದು ಪುಟ್ಟ ಹೆಜ್ಜೆ.… pic.twitter.com/WsAYDK2d6K
— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) November 1, 2024
