Mining industry in Goa be nationalised: INTUC

Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), a labour arm of Congress, today demanded that mining industry in Goa be nationalised.

INTUC president and Rajya Sabha MP G Sanjeeva Reddy told reporters here that being a national resource mining should not be allowed to be enjoyed by a few wealthy industrialists.

"It''s (mining) benefiting few entrepreneurs while emptying the nation''s resources," he said, adding that the worst scenario is that the mining extracts are sent to competing nation like China.

Goa exports around 45 million metric tones of the iron-ore, manganese and bauxite from 100-odd mining leases across the state.

"The ore is a national resource and it should not be exported," Reddy said.

"If it is removed from hands of few, than it will benefit crores of people," the INTUC president said, adding that nationalising mines is the only option to save the precious resource from being exported for earning revenue.

Alleging that mining industry is involved in "mindless export," Reddy said that the available resources are enough for next 50 to 60 years.

"After that we will have to import ore. The Central government must first ban the export of ore and then nationalise the Goa mining industry," he added.