PANAJI
Critically commenting on the mining issue, Power Minister Nilesh Cabral said that it will be difficult for the BJP to convince the people to vote for them if the government failed to address issues related to people's livelihood.
“Lots of development has happened during the BJP tenure and it will continue to happen but ultimately people will think about their livelihood first," said Cabral in an interview telecast on Prudent Media on Tuesday.
The Minister who also represents a mining belt constituency said that them common man will first ask what the government has done to give them their 'daily bread' adding that a bridge will not serve the purpose for the common man.
The vocal and straightforward Minister bluntly blamed the adamant central bureaucracy for not processing files related to mining issue.
"The Goa government has been putting in a lot of efforts to start mining in Goa, but a solution on the issue is in the hands of the central government," he stated.
He said that looking at the present scenario he doesn’t think that a solution to mining will come by any time soon.
Auctions and running mining through corporations are not feasible options either, the Power Minister argued.
“Auction is not as easy. Goa is not like other states. I have emphasised with the Centre about this,” Cabral said adding that the bureaucracy in Delhi was unaware of the situation and not emphasising the point.
He also stated that since Goa is a small state and Goan ore is not as rich as other states, the plans of making mining blocks by combining leases will not work.
“Virgin mines can be blocked together, but in Goa the case is different. How many mines leases will be combined to form a block is the question,” he said.
Making a point that government corporations are not working in profit he said that out of 26 corporations, only 4 corporations are in profit.
Cabral even said that if the CM's health was better, then the mining scenario could have been different in the state.
“He (CM) would have spoken and explained to the central government and bureaucracy about the issue,” he said.
