Team Herald
PANJIM: After a meeting with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday failed to break the impasse over mining ore transportation in Pilgao-Sarmanas, there are indications that the agitation might grow bigger in the coming days.
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Environment activist Ramesh Gawas has strongly criticised the CM for giving preferential treatment to the mining company and not to the interests of the people. “The CM is going out of his way to permit transportation of ore. However, villagers of Mulgao, Shirgao have been pleading to remove their village from the lease area for ages, but it’s falling on the deaf ears of the CM,” he said.
However, internal divisions within the stakeholders driving the agitation are also coming to the fore, which is adding another layer of complexity to a tense agitation that is already three weeks old.
For example, retrenched mining workers are demanding jobs in the Vedanta operations, while farmers are totally opposed to mining. Farmers have completely opposed the transportation of ore from using the main road. Leaders of the farmers group have alleged that the government is planning to sideline them and let Vedanta carry out ore transportation using the main road.
Advocate Ajay Prabhugaonkar, who represents the farmers, said, “We are warning that we will not hesitate to launch an agitation and take the matter to court if there is any attempt to start mining transport by trampling the interests of the villagers and farmers.”
However, workers union involved in the protest have said that they will launch an agitation if the farmers obstruct the mining transport using the main road. Union leader Atmaram Tilve said, “Those who are dependent on mining are in a dire condition now. For that, transportation has to start and we won’t tolerate any stopping of the ore trucks.”
Meanwhile, some have alleged that a section of the retrenched workers are trying to fire from the shoulders of the farmers in order to vent out their anger on the mining company.
The truck owners too have jumped into the bandwagon. Some truck owners and transporters have said that if there is any opposition to the transportation of the ore through main road, they, too, will launch an agitation. “We have invested a lot of money in trucks and equipment. Any attempt to stop the ore-laden trucks via the roads will not be tolerated,” said Satish Gaonkar, who is part of the truckers’ group.
With so many voices speaking in different tones, a solution to the Pilgao issue seems like a distant possibility as of now. Locals who have been closely following the Pilgao mining matter agreed that there may be a sinister plan to make the farmers the front of the agitation and reach a consensus on allowing transportation.
