Team Herald
PONDA: Blaming the Government for not taking the stakeholders into confidence while deciding the ore transportation rates, the All Goa Truck Owners Association (AGTOA) president Nilkant Gawas on Thursday accused the MLAs in the mining belt of having vested interest for not coming out with a solution in this regard.
He said, “The finalisation of ore transportation rates can be solved if truck owners and mining companies meet without the interference of MLAs in the mining belt.”
Gawas alleged, “The Government did not take the AGTOA and other truck owners associations into confidence while deciding the ore rates. Some so-called “truck owners”, who are supporters of mining belt MLAs, had discussed the rate issue at a meeting held by the mining companies with Chief Minister a fortnight ago in presence of these legislators.
He charged that these supporters are not the real truck owners and added that the rates proposed in their presence by Chief Minister and mining belt MLAs are not acceptable to truck owners associations in the state including AGTOA.
He said the mining belt MLAs should stop interfering and let the affected truck owners and mining companies sit together and find out solution to the ore transportation rate issue.
When questioned on the failure in talks at Wednesday’s meeting between the truck owners and mining companies in presence of Deputy Collector on resumption of mining, he said, “It was expected because the rates are not acceptable and unaffordable. If the mining companies want to start business then there should be proper understanding between them and us so as to find out solution to the ore transportation rate issue.
It may be recalled that at the meeting the truck owners had said that they had already rejected the government rates citing that the same were unsustainable. They stood firm on their Rs 14 per tonne per km demand and added that unless the same is met they would not transport ore.
The truckers had also offered to transport ore at Rs 12.50 as decided by government, but on a condition that diesel be provided at Rs 52 per litre at the petrol pumps run by the mining companies instead of Rs 58 as decided by government. The officials of the mining companies refused to accept this offer and stuck to the rates finalised by the government.
