Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has said the mining industry should be treated with respect as it has generated employment and revenue for the State.
Parrikar made this statement in a conference organised by the British Business Group (BBG) in Goa.
He appealed that the industry should not be looked upon as a “villain”.
“Today mining industry stands at the topmost level in the villain category, irrespective of the fact that industry has generated wealth for the State, employment opportunities and other forms of work,” the CM said.
The mining industry in Goa is in crisis due to the halt ordered in extraction and transportation of ore by the Supreme Court pending a report from the Centrally Empowered Committee (CEC).
Clarifying his stand, Parrikar said, “I am not supporting this sector or an industry which has damaged the environment but I feel that this industry needs to be treated with respect.”
“If we don’t want any kind of industry, then the people should say that in advance and not after the industry has been set up,” he pointed out.