Goa mining lobby flexes muscle, blocks river traffic
October 12th, 2011 - 4:53 pm ICT by IANSPanaji, Oct 12 (IANS) Nearly 50 mining barges virtually blockaded the Mandovi river, off Panaji, Wednesday to protest any impending action against the mining industry.
“Our livelihood is based on the mining industry. Any move by the government to stop mining would be disastrous,” Atul Jadhav of the Goa Barge Owners Association (GBOA) told IANS.
GBOA represents nearly 500 barges that ferry iron ore from mining jetties to the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) for export.
The daylong blockade, which saw large barges blocking the river’s navigation channel, affected the movement of fishing trawlers and casino feeder boats that ply on the Mandovi.
Goa has been rocked by the illegal mining scandal, which the opposition has pegged at Rs.25,000 crore.
Sources in the mining industry said the blockade of the river had the tacit support of ore extractors and exporters whose operations are likely to be affected by any probe in Goa’s politician-bureaucrat-mining lobby nexus.
“The line dividing legal and illegal mining is thin. The mining lobby is now flexing its muscle to ensure that government dithers from setting up a probe,” a mining company official said.
Government data itself suggests that less than 20 of Goa’s 100 odd mines in Goa were operating illegally, in violation of norms and permissions.
Goa in the last fiscal exported 54 million tonnes of iron ore.
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- Fishermen block Goa port, Coast Guard help sought - Apr 16, 2011
- 'Goa waterways cannot handle more iron ore traffic' - Apr 03, 2010
- Goa rivers be declared national waterways: shipping industry - Sep 16, 2010
- Goa port to tackle dubious iron ore shipments - Oct 17, 2011
- Panaji Port was illegal mineral export gateway: Official - Sep 18, 2011
- 100 pro-mining agitators held in Goa - Nov 22, 2011
- Illegal mining forces drop in ore export figures - Apr 05, 2012
- BJP manifesto promises Goa Lokayukta within 100 days - Feb 19, 2012
- Elections ahead, Congress, BJP reach out to mining lobby (Goa Newsletter) - Jan 28, 2012
- Kamat to present facts on mining scam to Goa Congress - Oct 14, 2011
- Mining baron wants CBI probe in Goa scam - Oct 07, 2011
- Exporters association not responsible for unlisted firms - Sep 21, 2011
Tags: barges, bureaucrat, crore, dithers, extractors, fishing trawlers, gboa, goa, government data, iron ore, jadhav, jetties, mandovi river, mining company, mining industry, mormugao port trust, mpt, navigation channel, river traffic, tacit support