Schemes for mining dependents announced - Herald

Schemes for mining dependents announced March 10, 2013 To cost exchequer Rs 12 crore per month; implementation from March 11 TEAM HERALD PANJIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, while marking completion of one year in office Saturday, announced two schemes for providing financial assistance to mining dependent people of five mining talukas. The schemes, which would cost the exchequer Rs 12 crore every month, would be implemented from March 11 onwards and will be in force for a year or till mining resumes. The schemes would be implemented through the Department of Mines and Geology and the forms would be available with local MLAs from March 11. The first scheme will provide financial assistance to people rendered jobless due to suspension of mining operations while the other scheme would offer financial assistance to tippers and truck owners’ have been drafted under an umbrella scheme, which would benefit only those people, who have been residing in any of the five mining talukas ~ Sattari, Bicholim, Sanguem, Dharbandora and Quepem, for last five year. Addressing a press conference, Parrikar said that the schemes for which the government will be spending Rs 12 crore every month, follows an assurance in the Governor’s address to the House where financial assistance of Rs 3000 to Rs 6000 to the mining people was announced. Parrikar said that 80 per cent of the people dependent on mining industry are facing uncertain future as they have not made enough, that they can spend money even 10 months after the mines are closed. According to him there are nearly 10,000 workers who have been rendered jobless due to suspension of mining. “We should step in to help people whose livelihood is affected,” he said pointing out that “for last five years, nearly Rs 4000-5000 crore has gone to state exchequer in form of mining revenue and was unfortunately spent on other areas rather than in the mining belts’. The scheme for jobless would be applicable from January 1, 2013 onwards or from the date the person has been terminated from the services, whichever is later. The scheme is beneficial to only one member of the family, provided there is no government servant in the family. The scheme states that the family which earlier had monthly income of upto Rs 6000 would be provided a financial assistance of upto 50 percent of the gross salary or Rs 3000, whichever is less, per month. The family which had income of between Rs 6000 and 10,000 per month would be provided Rs 4000 per month. Those with income between Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 would get 50 percent of the gross salary or Rs 4000 and if the salary was above Rs 10,000 then they would be subject to get a maximum of Rs 5000 extra. In case of family with income above Rs 15,000 per month, a benefit of Rs 5000 or 50 percent of the gross salary and if above Rs 10,000 then additional Rs 6000 per month would be provided. “At least three employment certificates from the company are a must to avail the benefit,” Parrikar said. The schemes for the truck owners would be implemented with retrospective effect, from October 1, 2012 to September 1, 2013. As per the scheme, only those truck owners, who have registered with Directorate of Mines and Geology, would be considered for the benefit. The last date for registration is March 15. Under the scheme, the maximum benefit is restricted to only two trucks ~Rs 8000 per month for the first truck and Rs 4000 for the second truck. “Total Rs 12,000 per month would be provided,” Chief Minister said. However, the scheme is not applicable to the trucks owned by private ltd companies or Ltd companies. “There could be around 6000-8000 beneficiaries under the scheme,” he assessed. Chief Minister said that government is also formulating a scheme, under which any developmental work carried out by PWD or Goa Infrastructure Development Corporation in the mining belt, at least 30 percent of work contract would be awarded to locals along with raw materials. http://www.oheraldo.in/News/Local%20News/Schemes-for-mining-dependents-announced/71767.html