Team Herald
BICHOLIM: About 300 mining dependents on Friday met Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant at Ravindra Bhavan and demanded to change the Advocate General Atmaram Nadkarni, who is representing the case at the Supreme Court.
The mining dependents from Bicholim, Pale and other parts met the Chief Minister and enquired about the mining issue. They sought to know as to what the government has done to solve the issue.
Replying to their query, Dr Sawant told that the Supreme Court would take up the 20-year-old mining concession case on April 15.
“The hearing scheduled on April 15, is the case which was filed in 1998. This is the first time that such hearing is to be held where nine-batch judges would sit and decide upon the issue. In view of this it is a positive sign,” he told.
“We would resolve the issue step by step and this is just the first step. People should have patience and we would surly come up with the solution,” Dr Sawant told adding that he has also met the company officials in this matter.
“I have already studied the matter in depth and also met the Central leadership in New Delhi in order to solve the issue,” the CM informed.
“Our first demand is that the AG Nadkarni should be replaced as we have seen that his attitude is not proper. He is demanding for auction of the mines and we feel that if he continues with the case we might not win,” mining dependent, Santosh Bhagat told.
