'Financial schemes for people affected by mining ban stopped'

The Goa government today said the financial schemes introduced for people affected by mining ban have been stopped as the activity has resumed in the state.

Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar told the Assembly the umbrella scheme providing monthly financial help to the people who had lost their jobs due to the ban has been stopped.

The facility of one-time settlement (OTS) for the truck owners to pay back their bank loans has also been presently stopped, he said.

"The mining activity has resumed. I know the activity is yet to pick up but gradually the mining will resume full-fledged. The schemes were introduced to provide financial cushion to those affected with mining closure," Parsekar said.
 

"Now, since the activity has resume there is no point in continuing the schemes, hence they are closed (stopped)," he said.

The issue was raised by BJP MLA Rajan Naik.

The Chief Minister said 6,997 truck owners took the benefit of OTS, while 1,974 persons, who were rendered jobless due to the ban, were given financial benefit for two years.

"(The) state government spent Rs 163 crore over these schemes. We have also helped the mine owners resume their operations. We expect the mine owners will re-employ all those who were rendered jobless during (the) ban on mining," Parsekar added.

The mining activity in Goa was banned in 2012 by the Supreme Court after an inquiry commission headed by Justice (retd) M B Shah pointed out various irregularities.

The ban was lifted after more than two years. Subsequently, the first mine to start the operations was Vedanta in May 2015.