Mining: BJP telling half-truth on PM meeting, alleges Goa Cong

Goa Congress Thursday alleged that the ruling BJP was telling only half-truth about the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and mining industry dependents as well as lawmakers from the state.

A delegation of mining dependents and MPs from Goa met Modi in New Delhi on Wednesday over their demand for resumption of iron ore extraction in the coastal state.

"We are only selectively told that PM said 'main dekhta hoon' (I will look into it). But were were not told that the entire conversation was against the resumption of mining industry," state Congress chief chief Girish Chodankar alleged.

He was addressing a gathering during the felicitation of former Goa chief minister Pratapsinh Rane on his 80th birthday on Thursday.

Chodankar alleged that the BJP was trying to fool the people of the state.

"People are hurt and they are waiting for resumption of mining. BJP has been just bargaining time since the last one year," he said, pointing out that exactly a year ago the Supreme Court had quashed 88 mining leases bringing the industry to a halt.

When contacted, Goa BJP chief Vinay Tendulkar, who was part of the delegation, said the PM was positive about the resumption of mining activities in the state.

"BJP is determined to provide a solution to the current mining crisis," he said.

The mining operations, a key source of revenue to the government, came to a standstill in March last year following a Supreme Court order which quashed 88 mining leases.

The BJP-led state government has requested the Centre to amend the existing mining laws during the ongoing session of Parliament so that leases get extended.

The GMPF, an umbrella group of mining dependents - whose livelihood has been affected - had in December last year staged three-day protests in New Delhi demanding resumption of mining activities in the state.