Truckers fear restarting mining will take two years
Team Herald
PONDA: The fresh ban on mining by the Supreme Court has caused panic among the mining dependents, who fear that mining would remain closed for at least two years as the fresh process to auction mining leases and getting all clearances for the same would take two years.
All Goa Truck Owners Association President Nilkanth Gawas said that the mining ban is a huge blow to the dependent people.
“The mining dependents were living happily in Goa, but the Chief Minister by his decision to close mining in 2012 ruined our lives. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is fully responsible for this new situation,” he said.
Gawas said that since Parrikar is responsible for situation, the chief minister should find a solution for the same.
“Once mining is closed, the dependents will have nothing to live on and they may even commit suicide. This is a serious situation; and if government wants to recommence mining, it will almost take two years to complete all formalities. Till then how can we survive?” he asked.
Dharbandora Truck Owners Association President Balaji Gawas also opined that once mining is shut down, it would take two years to restart the same.
“Further, after auctioning of leases, there is no guarantee that the mining companies would get the same leases they currently operate. Due to this the companies may lay off workers. Not only that, we, the truck owners will be severely affected if these leases go to the hands of another businessman after auction,” Balaji said adding, “Moreover, there is no guarantee that new lease holders will engage our trucks for transporting ore.”
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Mining dependents in Sattari threaten protest
Team Herald
VALPOI: Blaming the State government and the mining companies for the latest ban, the mining dependents in Sattari have threatened to come on streets demanding immediate restarting of mining.
Pissurlem Truck Owners Association President Hanumant Parab said, “Since the government and the companies restarted mining despite the 2012 Supreme Court ban, we spent money on repairing our trucks. Now due to the fresh ban, we all truck owners will face loss not mines owners.”
The government and the companies are responsible for the fresh mining ban. Therefore, we will come on road against the government and mining companies,” Parab threatened.
Dongurli Thane Panch Nilesh Thanekar said, “The Goa Government is not serious in handling the mining industry. It does not think of the poor people; it cares only for the corporate houses. The mining ban affects only the poor people and not the mines owners.”
Bhironda Sarpanch Nitin Shivdekar said, “Many villagers from my panchayat are working in mining companies; some villagers even have trucks plying at mines; the Advoi ward, which I represent, is fully dependent on the mining industry. The businesses of the villagers are also run on mining income. Therefore, this mining ban will severely affect my panchayat area.”
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Mine workers in Bicholim are a worried lot
Team Herald
BICHOLIM: The mining dependents from Bicholim have said that the ban on mining would affect them severely.
In a major shutdown of all iron ore mines in Goa, for the second time in six years, the Supreme Court on Wednesday quashed the second renewal of all 88 mines granted by the BJP government in Goa between November 2014 and January 2015 for 20 years with retrospective effect from 2007, in violation of its 2014 order declaring all leases after 2007 as illegal and invalid.
After the order several mining dependents expressed shock over the development. The secretary of the Truck Owners Association in Bicholim, Subhash Kinalkar said that this time the ban would hit them even harder than the earlier one.
“There are many who are directly dependent upon mining in Goa including the truck owners, drivers, labourers, spare parts owners and their families. This ban would only resurface the situation which we dealt with in 2012,” Kinalkar said.
He claimed that there are many who have now repaired their vehicles with the hope that they would earn some profit, but all their hopes would be dashed now.
“This ban might hit us severely, as after the first ban many of the truck owners had repaired their vehicles by investing whatever money they had, but now the ban will worsen the situation. There are several people who have loans to repay and we don’t know how to survive in such situation. We are now looking forward to the government’s next move to face the situation,” he said.
The president of Bicholim Sesa Goa Workers Union, Nilesh Karbotkar, also had the same opinion. “Workers and the truck owners are now really in trouble. Even if the situation persists for next one year it would severely hit us and our families,” Karbotkar said.
