"The closure of mining has affected lakhs of people in Goa", Rahul Gandhi said.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi said today that sustainable iron ore mining in Goa would resume once his party is voted to power at the Centre after the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Speaking at a rally in Goa, he also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi making Goa "a coal centre to help his crony capitalists."
"The closure of mining has affected lakhs of people. We have decided that the Congress party will start sustainable mining in Goa once it is voted to power after the 2019 elections," Mr Gandhi said during a booth-level convention of Congress workers in Goa.
Iron ore extraction and transportation was banned in Goa in March last year following a Supreme Court order that quashed 88 mining leases.
"The people dependent on mining are demanding that existing laws be amended to give a new lease of life to the industry, a key source of revenue for the government," Mr Gandhi said.
Describing Congress booth-level workers as the backbone of the organisation, Mr Gandhi said there is no dearth of issues for them to raise among voters while campaigning for the upcoming elections. "You will have to take these issues to every household," he said.