Mining creates unemployment

Goa Federation of Mines Affected People (GOAMAP) express strong objections to the comments of mining in Panjim reported in section of press in Goa yesterday by the newly elected Sindadurg Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) in Maharastra assembly Mr. Deepak Kesarkar.

Mr. Kesarkar while referring to Kalne mining revolt in Maharastra said that mining is not a major problem before society while unemployment is and Mining is the way to solve the problem of unemployment.

GOAMAP invites Mr. Kesarkar to visit Goa’s Sirgao village in Bicholim taluka and be witness to the common phenomena of mining creating not only unemployment for the large number of farmers cultivating their agriculture but also created dangerous situation of food and water insecurity by causing siltation of paddy fields and depletion of groundwater flow. Thus Mr. Kesarkar’s statement is factually incorrect based on wild imagination and day dreaming after the due process of palm greasing by mining industry.

Mr. Kesarkar has further said that mining companies must obey the law and Pollution Control Boards and Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) is there to take care of pollution created by mining industry. GOAMAP challenges Mr. Kesarkar to give example of at least one mine in whole of India in the entire period in Post Independence India wherein mining companies has complied with laws or Pollution Control Boards and MoEF has effectively implemented laws. Currently mining companies are to obey 180 conditions under various clearances given by government agencies. None of these are obeyed by any of the mining companies anywhere in India or are any government agencies effective in implementing laws on mining companies.

GOAMAP humbly urges Mr. Deepak Kesarkar not to indulge in proliferation of confusion promoted by propaganda machinery of the mining industry as spokesman of mining industry.

GOAMAP has expresses total support to People of Kalne in opposition to mining aggression on land, Forest, Agriculture, Water sources, and human rights and human dignity of People of Kalne, Maharastra.