MARGAO: Congress on Thursday said there is fear among the people of Goa about the severe outbreak of COVID-19 due to rapid movement of mining trucks arriving from the infected State of Karnataka.
Claiming that almost 200 trucks are entering Goa daily, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Girish Chodankar said that the rash driving by the truck drivers has endangered the lives of the people.
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The Committee has sought a clarification from the government on how these trucks are allowed to enter Goa when inter-State transportation except of essential goods is banned due to nationwide lockdown.
“Is it that mining is made part of essential activity by the Modi government, who is known to patronise crony capitalists at the cost of the poor,” Chodankar questioned.
“The apathy of the State BJP government towards the mining dependants has come to the fore with the government just not making any efforts to give transportation contracts to the local truck owners. It is very much possible for the government to instruct the mining companies to engage Goan trucks for transportation” he said.
“The government should also explain whether the drivers and others travelling in the trucks are tested for coronavirus and whether they are issued COVID-19 negative certificates. Who will take the responsibility if these drivers and cleaners cause spread of the virus in the mining areas, being the silent asymptomatic carriers,” Girish asked.
GPCC demanded that the Chief Minister should deploy the traffic police and RTO officials on the route where these trucks are plying to instil traffic discipline and save people’s lives.
Congress called it unfortunate that the government is focusing more on issuing challans to common man over petty things. Is this the new methodology of revenue generation of the bankrupt BJP Government” he asked.
