Team Herald
BICHOLIM: The transportation of iron ore in Bicholim Taluka has come to a standstill since Thursday after the Bicholim Truck Owners Association stopped transportation in protest against the mining company’s decision to outsource transportation.
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After staging a protest in front of the company’s main gate at Bicholim, the Association president Rajaram alias Satish Gaonkar said that Vedanta Limited had now outsourced 12-wheeler trucks through a contractor to transport ore within the mine route. This has resulted in losses as their daily trips have been reduced thereby impacting their livelihood.
Gaonkar has demanded that the mining company should stop the transportation of ore by outsiders and that the local truck operators be allowed to transport the ore. “We will not allow transportation from Bicholim mining block to Sarmanas jetty point till the time company stops outsourcing of transportation,” Gaonkar warned.
The Association president claimed that the mining company had assured them that the company would allow trucks of local operators and had now suddenly engaged an outside contractor. Initially, the company operated these 12-wheeler trucks on trial basis for about a week and then these 22 trucks were lying idle at the mining block for the last two months. But now suddenly the company has started using them to transport ore.
After failing to get concrete assurance from the mining company, the truck operators have stopped transportation since Thursday.
A joint meeting held between MLAs Dr Chandrakant Shetye, Premendra Shet, representatives of truck operators and the mining company failed to resolve the issue. Both the MLAs told the company representatives to give preference to local truck operators.
The company representatives have now stated that they will resolve issues of transportation of ore and other related mining operations in a collaborative manner with all stakeholders.
