PANAJI, Jul 27: Fomento Resources Chairman Audhut Timblo on Saturday said that atmosphere of ease of doing business in Goa was at the lowest ebb since 2012 when mining was banned in the state.
Speaking at the first edition of business and Fomento lecture series at Goa University, the mining magnate of the state said the issue was serious as the failure of the government to provide an atmosphere to do business and ease of doing business were at their lowest ebb.
Stating that the central government and the local government were getting Rs 3,000 crore a year from mining activity, he wondered why was mining stopped.
“The central government and the local government were getting Rs. 3000 crore a year from that (mining) activity. At least some salaries of the Goa government would have been paid. So why was it stopped? Ease of doing business in that sector I would say in 1950s it was 100, if I may quote an index. Post 1962, it was 50 and in 2012, it became zero,” Mr Timblo said.
According to Mr Timblo job opportunities in the state were sinking and government had failed in creating business opportunities.
Fomento Group headed by Timblo is the biggest mining firm after Vedanta Resources in the state. It was hit along with other mining firms when mining was banned first in 2012 and again in 2018. In 2012 the mining operations were halted by then Chief Minister Late Manohar Parrikar even before then Union Minister for Environment Jayanthi Natarajan withdrew all mining clearances to the mining leases.
The ban was lifted in 2014 but again Supreme Court imposed ban on extraction of iron ore in 2018 and cancelled 88 leases renewed by the government.
For the last more than a year, there have been several assurances by the leaders of the ruling party but the issue has been hanging in fire.
Earlier, this week Chief Minister Pramod Sawant informed state assembly that time frame for restart of mining operations could not be given though efforts were underway. (UNI)
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