Parties in Goa campaign on a minefield of joblessness

It is estimated that more than 40,000 people were involved in iron ore mining in Goa

All parties and individuals campaigning in Goa, which goes to the polls on February 4, have cottoned on to the issue of unemployment, caused to a great extent by the ban on mining imposed by the Supreme Court.

The expectation of people that mining will resume is palpable. Dinesh Ambre, a cab driver in Panaji and once an employee at a trucking workshop of Bicholim, hopes mining picks up soon. “Goans are in favour of mining. It means livelihood for many families. There was over-activity at one point, but the ban has rendered many jobless and switching to other forms