Goa CM Pramod Sawant pitches Finance Minister for mining package in view of ban

Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday made pitched Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for a special mining assistance package and land acquisition package for building an expressway from a national highway to the Mopa airport, and sought exemption of export duty for high grade iron ore.

Sawant, who was in New Delhi to attend the pre-budget consultation organised by the Finance Ministry, also sought support from the Centre to promote hinterland tourism in Goa.

"Attended the pre-budget consultation meeting chaired by the Union Minister of Finance Smt @nsitharaman. Sought mining package, support for hinterland tourism, land acquisition package for expressway from NH66 to Mopa airport, exemption of export duty for high-grade ore," Sawant tweeted after attending the meeting with finance ministers of all states and Union Territories.

Sawant, who also heads the state finance ministry,

Sawant, who hails from Sanquelim Assembly constituency, located in mining belt in Goa's hinterland, has made the  resumption of mining which was banned by the Supreme Court last year, one of the key priorities of his BJP-led coalition government.

The mining package is expected to provide a financial stimulus to the state government, which was reeling due to the ban on the mining industry, that accounts for nearly 30 per cent of the state's Gross Domestic Product.

The request from the central government to help develop hinterland tourism come in the wake of a slump which the tourism industry in Goa, traditionally dependant on beach tourism, has been facing over the last couple of years.