Team Herald
PORVORIM: Stating that the State government failed to maintain law and order during Monday’s protest by mining dependents, the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) on Tuesday demanded a judicial inquiry into the lathi charge.
Addressing the media, Leader of the Opposition Chandrakant (Babu) Kavalekar said, “The government failed to maintain a law and order situation during yesterday’s protest. The government failed to take this issue seriously and that is the reason all the people dependent on mining had to come out on the streets. For the past one and half month they have been fighting and nothing was done by the government.”
He said, “We condemn the lathi charge that took place and today we have decided that our party will demand a judicial probe in the matter as no authority is ready to take responsibility. No one knows who gave the orders. The law and order completely failed.”
He added, “Not only small children and students but tourists also were affected and the government is completely responsible for this as it sat on this issue for the past one and half month.”
He said the government did nothing after the SC passed the order, and only now is talking about lawyers and filing a review petition. “If this had been done earlier this incident could have been avoided. The government should have taken all steps when mines were functioning,” Kavalekar said.
The leader of the opposition demanded that if the government is filing a review petition, the draft should be shown to the opposition and the people dependent on mining.
The Congress also said the government has tried to fool the people as they have not come up or shown any concrete proposal to save mining in the State. “The government should take up this issue of mining seriously, the Congress is ready to support the government as it is a State issue,” he said.
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CLP forms committee to find
solution to mining crisis
The Congress Legislative Party (CLP) on Tuesday formed a six-member committee to find a possible solution to the mining crisis. The Committee consists of Digambar Kamat, Nilkanth Harlankar, Pratapsingh Rane, Wilfred D’Sa, Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco and Chandrakant (Babu) Kavalekar. Addressing the media, Leader of the Opposition Kavalekar said, “In today’s CLP meeting it was decided that a committee be formed to study, seek legal opinion and find a possible solution to the mining crisis in the State. This committee will sit with the best of experts and seek an opinion on what can be done to sort out this issue.” He further said, “We want to do this from our side, mining has to resume in the State at any cost.”
