Several protesters staged a protest against the prohibition order on mining in Panaji, Goa on Monday. The protesters have come on streets which have disrupted the routine life in the state capital. Many roads were blocked by the crowd of protesters who gathered at Azad Maidan holding placards to lift the ban on mining.

The protest included people directly or indirectly dependent on the mining industry of the state including truck drivers and barge owners. Goa state minister for Agriculture Vijai Sardesai spoke to media on the protests.

“There is no need for those dependent on mining to hold a protest in Panaji tomorrow as they do not have to impress anybody.The government is already sympathetic to their demands. We also believe that the closure was abrupt and it caused people inconvenience,” said Sardesai as quoted by PTI.

In February this year, the Supreme Court of India had passed an order putting a ban on mining activities in the state from March 15 onwards and nullified the government’s order to renew the mining leases in the state and ordered fresh renewal of the leases with a fresh auction process after obtaining environmental clearances.

The order came in wake of alleged illegal mining of the iron-ore in the state.