The Future We Need
At the Goenche Mogi Citizens’ Meet, the people of Goa took the Goenchi Mati pledge in English and Konkani. We now call upon all Goans to visit their candidates and ask them to take the Goenchi Mati Pledge & whatsapp the recording. The contact information of all the candidates taken from their election affidavits is given in this Google Document. “I pledge to the people and …
Goans have lost Rs. 10 lakhs each as a result of the recent iron ore mining lease renewals. GMM has a strategy to recover this loss but the public are also needed to reinforce a unified action by lending individual support.
The Goenchi Mati Movement today releases its Manifesto for the Goa Assembly Elections 2017. The movement asks all political parties to include it in their manifestos.
Dr. Madhav Gadgil writes a fascinating article in the Economic & Political Weekly (EPW) drawing extensively from his experience with the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) and with mining in Goa. He recapitulates the horror experienced with mining in Goa, including the difficulties tribals have found in establishing a cooperative to undertake mining in their village.
In 2012, mining leases in Goa had expired and mining activities halted. The Supreme Court had declared all mining, from 22-Nov-2007 illegal. Goa had a clean slate! A fresh start could be made in all aspects of mining and mining controls. Now the question is where to begin?
Over the last ten years mining losses have been variously reported and unsubstantiated estimates touted. In among all of this, one thing is certain: the trend is consistently upwards. Amounts have been quoted from Rs. 3,500 crores due to non-payment of royalty (PAC Report) to Rs. 35,000 crores due to mining outside lease areas (Shah Commission). However the latest official …
View Below | Download Video: Short 4min, Long 23min
Since our inception in 2014, the Goenchi Mati Movement has been fighting for ownership and safeguarding of Goa’s mineral assets for the Goan public. We are proud to launch our first video explaining what our movement is about.
Under the Constitution, the minerals of Goa belong to the people and the state government is merely a trustee of the minerals for the people and especially future generations. After the landmark Supreme Court judgement in the Goa mining case, all mining during 2007-2012 was declared illegal and during this period the people of Goa lost more than Rs. 65,000 crores from minerals.
In end 2014 – early 2015, the Goa government renewed 88 mining leases from which the people of Goa stand to lose an additional estimated Rs. 79,000 crores from minerals due to the balance period of the renewed leases.
Adding these amounts, we come to a staggering figure of Rs. 1,44,000 crores (OreChor144). This is the loss to the Goan public and Goan communities (nearly Rs.10 lakhs a person) from the renewal of the leases. More importantly, our children and future generations have lost Rs. 1,44,000 crores forever. What explanation can we give?
The Goenchi Mati Movement is fighting to stop this loot and recoup this massive loss for our future generations. We urge whichever Government is elected in 2017 to immediately cancel the leases and reframe a fair and just mining policy for the people of Goa. We request the Public to join our campaign, fight for what is rightfully theirs and urge them to vote for those politicians that will change the system.
We are often asked why we recommend only a Permanent Fund for investment / saving, and only a Citizen’s Dividend for distribution of income. Why not hand the money to the government, there are so many urgent needs? In an earlier post, we discussed why we insist that every paisa received from mining and minerals be deposited into the Permanent Fund.
Zero loss mining and intergenerational equity A loss amounting to twice the cumulative state revenues was uncovered following an investigation into mining activities by Goa Foundation. This money represents the value of minerals mined and exported during the period 2004 to 2012 from Goa. The amount represents a Rs. 3.7 Lakhs loss of mineral assets for each and every Goan; …
The five principles of the Goenchi Mati Movement What would you say if you were told that each and every member of your family had been unceremoniously and consistently robbed over an eight-year period to the tune of Rupees 3.7 Lakhs? A theft of inherited wealth, passed down through the generations, now almost beyond recovery and the perpetrators yet to …