Panaji: The Shiv Sena has extended its support to the day-long bandh called Tuesday by people affected due to the suspension of mining activities in the coastal state.
Shiv Sena’s Goa unit vice president Rakhi Prabhudesai Naik in a statement issued here on Sunday said the party will stand by mining dependents in their time of crisis.
The Goa Mining People’s Front, an umbrella group of mining dependents whose livelihood has been affected, earlier this month gave a call for a day-long bandh February 26 in those areas where iron ore extraction was held before the suspension of such activities.
Supporting the cause, Naik said, “The Sena stands firmly with mining dependents as we equally feel their pinch.”
She said the Sena leaders had supported the mining dependents during their protests in New Delhi last year.
“The issue of mining resumption and to bring an amendment to the existing mining laws would have been raised in Parliament if the (budget) session had not been stalled,” Naik said.
She said the Sena has appealed to the BJP to stop playing with the sentiments of mining dependents, who have been “running from pillar to post” since the last one year.
“The bandh called as a mark of protest will be fully supported by the Sena. A peaceful bandh is necessary to send a clear signal to those in power that masses are suffering,” Naik added.
The mining operations, a key source of revenue to the government, came to a standstill in March last year following a Supreme Court order which quashed 88 mining leases.
The BJP-led state government earlier requested the Centre to amend the existing mining laws during the recently concluded session of Parliament so that leases get extended.
The GMPF had in December last year staged three-day protests in New Delhi demanding resumption of mining activities in the state.
PTI
