By IANS,
Panaji : Goa will approach the Planning Commission seeking a financial package covering over two lakh people affected by the mining ban, Chief Minister Manohan Parrikar said Monday.
He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a public grievance meeting here.
“For every Rs.1,000 crore which the Goa government earns from mining, the central government earns Rs.7,000 crore. And yet there is no financial assistance coming from them when so many livelihoods are in peril. We have no other option but to approach the Planning Commission now,” Parrikar said, two days after announcing a range of compensation packages for the mining-affected persons.
The central government-sponsored “financial package” has been a point of argument for both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, with both parties blaming each other for the woes of the mining sector.
Mining has been banned by the Supreme Court in Goa since October last year. The apex court is hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) on illegal mining filed by noted lawyer Prashant Bhushan along with local NGOs.
The package announced by the Parrikar government last week grants an allowance of Rs.4,000 for every family dependent on mining along with half gross salary for those who lost their jobs since the ban.
Every mining truck owner will also be paid a compensation of Rs.8,000 per month, along with Rs.4,000 more if an individual has an additional truck.