First round of auction for mining leases to be completed soon, says Goa CM Sawant
The Hindu
The mining industry in the State came to a standstill in 2018 after the Supreme Court quashed the mining leases
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday informed the State Legislative Assembly that the first round of auction for iron ore mining leases is proposed to be completed in the next three to four months.
Mr. Sawant was cornered by opposition benches including Leader of Opposition Michael Lobo, Goa Forward party MLA Vijai Sardesai, and Independent MLA Chandrakant Shetye on the issue of retrenchment of staff by the mining companies.
The mining industry in the State came to a standstill in 2018 after the Supreme Court quashed the mining leases.
Mr. Sardesai sought assurance from the State government that it will make it mandatory for the companies, winning the auction, to retain the workforce currently employed on these mining leases.
The chief minister told the House that the first round of auction is proposed to be completed in the next the three to four months, and the experienced workforce available in Goa is expected to get employment opportunities once the mining activity resumes in the state.
"The State will explore the possibility of giving preference in employment to the existing workforce through successful bidders after auction process is completed and mining activity is resumed," Mr. Sawant said.
He further said that in order to restart mining activity in the state, the government is gearing up to auction mining blocks on priority.