If Modi wants, he can solve Goa mining issues in 5 min: Raut

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut Wednesday said if Prime Minister Narendra Modi wanted, he could resolve the issues plaguing Goa's mining industry in "five minutes".

Raut met mining dependents who are staging a sit-in protest at the Ramleela Maidan here, and criticised the Centre over the halt in the iron ore extraction industry in Goa, saying even the British and the Portuguese rulers in the country never went against people's livelihood.

Mining, which used to be one of two major source of revenue in Goa, the other being tourism, came to a halt in March this year after the Supreme Court quashed the renewal of 88 mining leases.

Around 1,000 people, under the banner of the Goa Mining People's Front (GMPF), have been protesting at the Ramleela Maidan in Delhi since Tuesday, demanding an amendment to the mining law during the ongoing winter session of Parliament to enable the resumption of mining activity.

Addressing the protesters, Raut said, "We witnessed British rule (in the country) and in Goa, you have seen the Portuguese rule, but they never went against the livelihood of the people."