Resume mining to overcome jobs, economy issues: CII to Goa govt

Panaji, Nov 22 : The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Goa chapter has emphasised the need for prompt resumption of mining activities in the coastal state to overcome disruption in economy and unemployment caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Alterations to the National Mineral Policy, phasing out of mining activities from eco-sensitive areas, setting up of a comprehensive regulatory mechanism to deter illegal mining, and effective management of iron ore deposits are some of the key recommendations made by the industry body in a White Paper titled ‘Accelerating the Goan Economy – A White Paper’.
“Since the halt on mining in Goa during 2012 and later again in 2018, after only a brief resumption, tourism has been one of the key employment generating sectors. However, with the sudden and highly disruptive emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic, most of Goa’s traditional economic engines and employment generators are facing significant challenges,” it said.
“Resumption of mining can play a huge role in generating employment and restarting traditional economic engine,” it added.
The CII document points out that the National Mineral Policy which has prioritised import substitution, value addition and discourages exports leans in favour of bigger ore-producing states like Karnataka, Jharkhand, and Odisha and is against the interests of Goa which mines low-grade iron ore.
“This is on account of significantly lower ore quality compared with the rest of India, and therefore not suitable for domestic steel production. The export of Goan ore does not burden the national assets, thanks to the excellent inland waterways. The Goa government should therefore press for the removal or reduction of export duty from low-grade Goan iron ore,” the White Paper said.