Responding to the criticism of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition Government's delay in resolving the stoppage of mining in Goa, enforced by the Supreme Court of India, State BJP president Vinay Tendulkar on Sunday claimed, that the prolonged illness of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had caused the delay in decision-making vis a vis the mining crisis.
"Unfortunately, Parrikar ji fell ill, as a result of which we could not handle the (mining) issue head-on. But it is not too late. We will ensure that a way can be found to get Goa's mining started at the earliest," state BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar told a press conference on Sunday. Parrikar is currently in the US for more than a week now, undergoing treatment for a pancreas-related ailment.
Tendulkar's comments come a day before owners of mining ore-ferrying trucks and river barges, which are used to transport iron ore have threatened to create a law and order problem by disrupting road and river traffic by blocking highways and and rivers, using mining trucks and barges on Monday morning.
Truck and barge owners have accused the state BJP-led coalition government of not doing enough to context the Supreme Court-imposed ban, which has brought nearly all mining leases to a close from March 15.
The Supreme Court order in February had cancelled all 88 mining leases, which were renewed by the BJP-led coalition Government in Goa in favour of the same mining companies implicated in the Rs 35,000 crore illegal mining scam.
The order also mandates, that mining leases should be issued anew, after getting all the necessary environment clearances, a process which could take nearly one and a half to two years according to experts.
Tendulkar also urged the truck and barge owners to not create a law and order problem on Monday, claiming that Union Minister for Shipping and senior BJP leader was likely to arrive in Goa on Monday night to find a solution caused by the apex court's mining ban.
"Gadkari ji will be in Goa on Monday and he will speak to all stakeholders in the mining industry and try to solve the crisis which is facing our state," Tendulkar said.