State, Centre should adopt unified approach on Goa mining: Congress

PANAJI: The Congress today said that state and Central government agencies should act in unison to better present a case before the Supreme Court, to lift the ban on mining in Goa in order to resolve the current industry crisis.

"All the stakeholders including state and central government should come together to adopt unified approach before the Supreme Court," Congress leader Vishwajit Rane told reporters here today.

He said the flip-flop in the affidavits filed by Goa government before the apex court can prove costly for the mining industry, which is already reeling under crisis.

The Supreme Court has imposed temporary ban on the mining in Goa awaiting report from Centrally Empowered Committee ( CEC). The case would come up for hearing in near future.

Goa and Central government have already filed the affidavits.

Rane said that the officials from Union Ministry of Environment and Forest and Goa government should be on a common track to ensure that the matter is not delayed further.

Goa's mining industry has been looking forward for the favourable judgement by the apex court following the verdict pronounced in Karnataka mining cases, wherein legal mining were allowed to be operated, he said.

Rane said that the Congress party has always been for the legal mining.

He said that if necessary, the state government should file a fresh affidavit before the apex court giving details of people who were involved in criminal activity of illegal mining.