PANAJI

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the current crisis in the state’s mining sector, saying it has impacted 1.5 lakh people and hit iron ore exports worth up to Rs 25,000 crore.

Parrikar, before leaving for treatment to US, had met Modi and also briefed a group of central ministers about the issues in the mining sector.

Last week, the Goa Assembly passed a resolution urging the Centre to suitably amend the Goa, Daman and Diu Mining Concessions (Abolition and Declaration as Mining Leases) Act, to allow mining leases in the state to be operational till 2037.

The resolution also wanted the Centre to amend the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act in order to give mining leases in Goa a 50-year tenure of operation.

“I have requested him (Prime Minister) to consider Goa on priority… There is a very positive approach from the PM,” the chief minister said after meeting Modi here.

Parrikar was accompanied by Union Minister and North Goa MP Shripad Naik, Rajya Sabha member Vinay Tendulkar and South Goa Member of Parliament Narendra Sawaikar.