Goa: ‘Mining activity to resume in 6 months’

Panaji: Union minister G Kishan Reddy on Thursday said iron ore mining activity in Goa, which came to a standstill in 2018, would resume in the next six months. The Coal and Mines Minister was talking to reporters here after launching the country’s first-ever auction of Exploration Licences (ELs) for 13 exploration blocks for critical minerals.

“The Goa government is following all the norms laid down by the Supreme Court with regards to iron ore mining. The mining activity will begin full-fledged in Goa in the next six months,” he said. Reddy said all issues related to environmental concerns, revenue generation and employment opportunities would be addressed during the resumption of the mining activity.

He said he had a productive discussion on each mineral block in the state. The Union minister chaired a review meeting on Thursday in Goa to know the status of the auctioned mines, plans to auction more mineral blocks as well as non-operational mining leases in the coastal state.