Goa mining industry not averse to mining corridor: Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association

PANAJI: The iron ore exporters in Goa on Saturday said they were not averse to funding the construction of mining corridors - dedicated roads for the transport of ore, bypassing villages and towns - provided that the state government linked them with jetties.

The industry was not averse to funding the project, but it needed an assurance that the entire stretches of corridors, up to the jetties, would be built, Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association (GMOEA) Secretary Glenn Kalavampara said.

The Goa government recently said the industry had not shown any interest in backing the corridors financially.

According to GMOEA, if the industry were to invest in the project, it should be given a time frame for completion. Also, the toll-collection system should be in place.

"The state government also needs to take various permissions from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and other ministries, which is expected to take some time... This has possibly made investors cautious," Kalavampara said.

The government has planned two corridors in South Goa. The work of initial phase of the first project has already been awarded.

The mining companies have also said their consent for corridors does not come with the condition of expediting industry's various applications for approvals, which are pending with the state government.

Goa has around 100 mining leases, which produce around 45 million tonnes of iron ore annually.