The imbroglio over mining transportation rates refuses to end as the restart of the mining season is a few weeks away. After a long hiatus when both the economy and mining ground to a halt, the road to resumption is choked with pollution, and now, transport related bottlenecks.
It is in nobody’s interest if mining does not resume. And it is in everyone’s interest that all stakeholders manage to get off the blocks rather than the entire mining sector remaining grounded for a while longer. The All Goa Truck Owners Association which has rejected the government’s proposal to increase ore transportation rates by Rs 2 per kilometre may have valid reasons for its angst against the government. It feels that their submissions have not been taken into confidence and that mining MLAs are controlling the business and ensuring that their trucks get a larger share of the transportation ore. While this hasn’t been explicitly said, this is the charge which is intended.
The government also should respond to the disgruntlement over the truckers being allowed to carry out only 80 % transportation and not all of it.
However, these concerns, albeit important, apart, all stakeholders must realise that the mining business, like all other businesses, has to function according to the demand and supply ratio. The international price of ore is not on a high, the demand for Goan ore, simply due to prolonged periods of unavailability is an all time low. In addition there is a cap on mining. All these factors have reduced the ability or at the very least the willingness, on the part of mine owners or mining contractors of paying increased rates for transportation. Ultimately business and not social responsibility will be the game changer or the deal maker or breaker, depending on which side of the fence you are on.
It is therefore vital that there should not be breakdown of communication and drastic confrontational measures taken. The North Goa Truck Owners Association (NGTOA) has agreed on the new government rates but the All Goa Truck owners Association (AGTOA) has called the NGTOA defunct. The larger issue is that it is the small time truckers, those with just one truck, and depend completely on this business for their very survival; who will really suffer. The big truckers, inspite of the hit, may still have some cushion to tide over for a few more months.
At no point of time are we advocating that truck owners should face injustice and give into the government. But what is absolutely necessary is that a middle path has to be found. If the truck owners retreat into a corner and speak the language of extreme confrontation, then the half way progress on transportation rates which has been made, will be totally negated.
At the same time, stakeholders like mining MLAs should work overtime to ensure that the feeling of distrust which is there in the mind of truckers is removed and to do that they have to inspire confidence that they will keep the interests of the truckers as their first priority and not their own interests in transportation, if any.
If mining transportation, even in a limited way, does not commence on time, it will deal a killer blow to the prospect of mining revival.
