No time frame to resume mining in Goa: Sawant

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said no time frame can be given for the resumption of mining operations in the state.

Sawant said this in the Assembly while responding to a question tabled by BJP member Subhash Shirodkar, who questioned the steps taken by the Goa government to resume the iron ore extraction activities in the coastal state.

The government was exploring all options to restart mining in the state, Sawant said in a written reply.

"The time frame cannot be ascertained at this stage. However, efforts are being made to start the mining operations at the earliest," the chief minister said.

The mining operations, a key source of revenue to the government, came to a standstill in March 2018 following a Supreme Court order which quashed 88 mining leases.

The BJP-led state government earlier requested the Centre to amend the existing mining laws so that the leases get extended.

Around two lakh people dependent on mining in Goa have been demanding that the central government amend the existing laws to make way for the industry's resumption in the coastal state.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier this month chaired a meeting in New Delhi, where some central ministers and Sawant were present, and asked the mines ministry to submit a report on the functioning of the mining industry in Goa.