State responsibility towards mining The natural wealth is exhaustible. How many more years can it last? It has to end sooner or later. Govt has exploited to hilt to get rich quickly, Many actors joined the race illegally for stake in mining pie. The Dempo`s were wise to entice Vedanta to cough up over 6000 crores and exit before sunset .Vedanta was in tearing hurry to recover the expenditure with profits. This over exploitation in a short time resulted in traffic congestion, accidents, inconvenience and safety of school children, water pollution, loss, degradation of agriculture lands, and lung related health issues etc The people in mining area were enticed with loans to purchase one or two trucks by every family, assured business in transportation and surety for loans . Similarly investments in barges was seen as lucrative too. Various doles were distributed regularly to silence their resistance. Health doles due to pollution in every family. New leaders sprung up creating outrageous demands .The drivers were hired from outside the state and did not generate self employment .Garages were mostly manned by outsiders too .Additional revenue generated by some shops, tea stalls, rentals etc was not significant and dried up after stoppage of mining .The people in the area became addicted to vices, frugal life styles with easy income with no sustenance plan when income dried up, due sudden stoppage of mining activity. There was crisis of payment of installments on trucks, barges etc The State Govt to curb the rising anger of desperation still promises to resume mining with no sign of action. To pacify momentarily offered relaxation of loan payment, but not provided utilization of idle trucks and barges and drivers. Fortunately many such outsiders fled from the state. The responsibility to rehabilitate fell on the shoulders of overburdened state and not mine owners Some doles were also extended to buy silence. The agitation is ongoing and politics of votes and appeasement continues unabated .When there is shutdown of mines how can state own responsibility .If tourism suffers the same fate of recession will the Govt waive off loans of hotels, transport industries, help drivers, tour guides etc? What is state of dry dock retrenched employees ? The Govt is not showing any sympathy towards them even to recover dues from employees
The State should provide employment by promoting industries, revive traditional agriculture, and encourage self employment, provide water for irrigation and drinking. It is reported that school children have no transport facility that existed earlier . The people in the area should have taken calculated risk in business venture of transportation and owning trucks. It was their personal decision not influenced , motivated by State The state ad central Govt has earned large amounts by way of royalty, but thought nothing of ploughing back some revenue towards meeting this eventuality .The state too merrily gulped down mining revenues with gay abandon and imagined it to be milking cow forever. Mere assurances other than legislation can resume mining and that remains an illusion under promises, strikes, meetings without outcomes. If and when it does resume the same predicament will follow after sometime once again Another fiasco of lack of foresight was starting of mining degree Course at the fag end of closing ,slowing down of industry. It has been closed leaving the students in lurch and unemployed .The Govt, similarly paying doles to trawler owners due to ban on fishing .They enjoy subsidy on boats, nets, fuel with no specific benefits to the consumers. The policies of Govt are warped sometimes defies logic of rationalization People must make their own decisions factoring all such eventualities to sustain revenues and plan for a rainy day. Nelson Lopes chinchinim
