Working on a solution for mining resumption in Goa: Parrikar

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar today said he had been interacting with various stake-holders and experts to bail out the crisis-hit mining industry in the state.

The chief minister said he would formulate a proper plan before he meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue.

The mining industry in the coastal state came to standstill on March 16 in view of the supreme court quashing the second renewal of 88 iron ore leases.

"The state government is exploring all the possibilities to ensure that the mining activity resumes in as soon as possible. I would meet the prime minister in Delhi over the issue only after I get a clear idea about the solution," he told reporters here.

When asked about the day on which he would be calling on the PM, Parrikar said he had not decided the time yet, but he could travel to Delhi even during the sitting of the assembly session, scheduled to be held between July 19 and August 3.

"My target is to ensure that at least some of the mines start operating at the earliest. I am trying to see which is the best and the fastest route to resume mining activities in the state," he said.

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function, the chief minister said the quantum of jobs created in the country in the last four years might be "in crores".

"As Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) recently said if Karnataka produced 51 lakh jobs and West Bengal 69 lakh job opportunities, then these figures cannot be disputed as they are state figures.

"This means that the quantum of employments generated in the country in the last four years must be in crores," he said after launching the National Career Service (NCS) portal near here.

The key highlight of the portal is that all the stake-holders in the employment eco-system are brought on a common platform.

The stake-holders comprise job seekers, government departments, employers in the private sector, skill providers, placement agencies, local service providers and counsellors.

"It will provide an easy access to the job seekers by offering them multiple career and employment options across the country and state as well. It will also help in getting actual data of employers, employees, employed and unemployed etc," he said.