BJP minister warned against blaming Parrikar for mining shut down

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Panaji, Jan 27 (IANS) A day after Goa's Ports Minister Michael Lobo slammed former Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar for taking wrong decisions related to the closure of mines and starting a government-backed taxi aggregator service, state BJP President Sadanand Shet Tanavade said on Wednesday that the minister has been warned against making such utterances.

"Manohar Parrikar was not just Goa's tallest BJP leader, but he was also a pan-India leader. We have summoned Lobo and warned him against making such comments against Parrikar. Not just Lobo, no one else in the party should make such comments about Parrikar," Tanavade said.

"I condemn Lobo's statements. Parrikar contributed a lot for the betterment of Goa," Tanavade told reporters at the state legislative Assembly complex.

On Tuesday, Lobo had said that Parrikar's decision to shut down the mining industry in 2012 was a mistake, because of which people in the state's mining belt are still suffering.

Mining was first stopped during Parrikar's regime in 2012. The mines sector in Goa continues to be non-functional in the wake of a more recent Supreme Court order in 2018, which observed irregularities in the renewal processes of 88 mining leases in the state.

Earlier this week, Lobo had also blamed Parrikar for the ongoing chaos in the taxi sector, saying the former Chief Minister's decision to permit an app-based cab aggregator service in 2018 had angered the influential tourist taxi operators.

Over the last one year, the state has witnessed several clashes between drivers associated with the app-based cab aggregator service 'GoaMiles' and the members of the tourist taxi union.

Parrikar passed away following a prolonged battle with cancer in 2019.

--IANS

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