Goa Chief Minsiter Manohar Parrikar favouring mining company: Congress

Panaji: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is working for a mining company interested in extracting ore from a land owned by a Portuguese national, which has been declared an evacuee property, the Goa Congress alleged on Wednesday.

Party spokesperson Reginaldo Lourenco was speaking to reporters at the state Congress headquarters, a day ahead of party general secretary Rahul Gandhi's visit to the state. Lourenco, however, did not name the mining company.

"Parrikar is trying to ensure that the evacuee property in Mayem (40 km from here) which is rich in ore will land into the lap of a mining magnate he is close to," Lourenco said.

The Congress leader said Manohar Parrikar is working for a mining company interested in extracting ore from a land owned by a Portuguese national.

The land in question in Mayem, located in the heart of Goa's mining belt, has been in controversy ever since 1961 when India liberated Goa from Portuguese rule.

The land which was declared evacuee property has settlers on it, who have no ownership rights to the place.

Lourenco also said that the stage was set for the arrival of Gandhi, who will be addressing the national convention of the National Students' Union of India being held in Goa.

Gandhi will also be meeting mining industry stakeholders whose livelihood has been threatened by the mining ban, Lourenco said.

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