Cops, transport authorities accused of threatening BKS members
HERALD CORRESPONEDNT
BICHOLIM, MARCH 18
Bicholim MLA Rajesh Patnekar on Thursday accused police and transport authorities of threatening the Bicholim Kruti Samitee (BKS) members, who are trying to prevent mining trucks from plying through the city.
Patnekar was speaking to the reporters outside deputy collector’s office, after the hearing on mining trucks plying through Bicholim city was postponed due to the unavailability of the deputy collector.
It may be recalled that on January 28, BKS members and villagers had blocked traffic in protest against mining trucks from Kalne Maharastra plying through Bicholim city.
However, the agitation was withdrawn when Bicholim deputy collector through an order had stopped mining trucks from plying through the city. The truck owners in turn had approached the High Court, which gave the deputy collector’s office a timeframe of three months to give decision over the issue.
A meeting was called on Thursday to discuss the issue for the third time, but since the deputy collector was unavailable in the office, the meeting was again postponed to April 5.
Speaking to reporters, MLA Patnekar said they have submitted a complaint to the Bicholim RTO highlighting illegal transportation of ore by tipper trucks and violations done by them.
“Armed with the proof, the Samiti has submitted a letter to the RTO regarding the mining trucks plying in the area and have sought action against them,” said Patnekar.
“We have highlighted some common issues like overloading, untrained drivers driving rashly, unauthorised modifications in the trucks and other such problems so that the authorities should take appropriate steps,” added the MLA.
“When some BKS members tried to bring to the notice of the police about the illegalities, the police in turn threatened them of arrest under Section 149 IPC,” claimed Patnekar.
“They do this only to lower the moral of the members,” charged the MLA.
In protest and to chalk out future course of action, the samiti has convened a meeting of the members in the MLA’s office on Friday.
