VASCO: Dock employees Union of Mormugao has requested the Government and the relevant authorities not to discontinue coal handling at the Mormugao port. 

They have requested the Goa State Pollution Control Board to put strict measures to control pollution and put them to practice through the concessionaires handling coal at MPT. 

The employees told that the MPT is earning revenue from coal handling and this revenue is a means of daily bread for the thousands working at the port. 

They said that the port doesn’t have anything other than coal handling at the moment. There are 1350 workers employed at the port and another 4650 workers are pensioners of the port. The MPT needs to handle at least 30 million tonnes of cargo to pay the salaries and pensions.

“After mining closure, if this 15 million is also stopped then the MPT won’t be in a position to pay salaries to us,” the Union said. 

“We are totally against pollution and want the GSPCB to put strictures on the concessionaires to control pollution and have to see to it that they follow the same,” an employee affiliated to the Union said.