Mining engineers' association seeks resumption of mining activities in Goa

A mining engineers' association has called for resumption of mining activities through best possible means in Goa. The Mining Engineers' Association of India (MEAI)- Goa Chapter said that in the absence of industrial activity in the state, mining professionals are facing an unprecedented job crisis.
Mining operations in Goa were stopped in March 2018 following the Supreme Court quashing 88 mining leases.

"Citing the very high rate of unemployment in the state, the Goa chapter of MEAI claimed that in the absence of industrial activity, mining professionals are facing an unprecedented job crisis," it said in a statement.

Raising the concern of the rising unemployment rate in Goa, MEAI- Goa Chapter appealed to governments at the Centre and the state, to immediately allow resumption of mining activities through best possible means.

Goa's unemployment rate was recorded at a whopping 13.4 per cent last month, as against the national average of 7.12 per cent, as per the data published by Centre for Monitoring of Indian Economy (CMIE).

The association said that due to the stoppage of mining operations and massive slowdown in other industrial sectors in Goa, as per the CMIE report, its unemployment rate was higher than that of several bigger states such as Chhattisgarh (0.7 per cent), Gujarat (2.1 per cent), Madhya Pradesh (1.6 per cent), Odisha (2.6 per cent), Uttar Pradesh (3.1 per cent) during May.

Despite being a small state, Goa features among the first six states with maximum unemployment rate in India.

"Goa's economic revival is extremely vital without any further delays, and we urge government to relook at the ever-worsening employability scenario leading to various repercussions such as rising cases of addictions, domestic violence, stress, illiteracy etc," Joseph Coelho, Chairman, MEAI Goa Chapter said.