Panaji, Jun 14 (IANS): Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday met Union Minister of State for Mines Prahlad Joshi and requested his intervention to restart mining in the coastal state, which was banned by the Supreme Court last year.

"Called on Shri Prahlad Joshi ji, Union Minister of Mines, in New Delhi. Brief him on Goa mining matter and requested for his intervention," Sawant tweeted.

The BJP-led coalition government in Goa has come under criticism for its failure to restart the mining industry for more than a year now.

The apex court banned mining in 88 operational mining leases, after it found lapses in the renewal of the mining leases and scrapped the validity of all the leases.

Sawant, who is on a two-day visit to the national capital, also met Union Home Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah, Union Minister for Textiles Smriti Irani and Union Minister for Human Resource Development Ramesh Pokhriyal and also extended an invitation to the latter to inaugurate the Pernem Government College campus in North Goa.