Team Herald
PONDA: The Goa Peoples Mining Dependent Front (GPMDF) has decided to intensify agitations by various means, at a meeting held at Usgao on Sunday.
Presided over by GPMDF leader Puthi Gaonkar, observed that the condition of mining dependents is worsening day by day in absence of mining activities; that the government is paralysed; and that there was no indication from the government on restarting mining.
Tuesday’s meeting was planned before the ganesh Festival as there was no effort on the part of the State and Central governments for restarting mining. “Therefore, we decided to hold a meeting on today (Tuesday) to chalk out our strategy on intensifying agitation — even by calling for a shutdown in mining belt talukas. At the meeting, we also decided to stage protest in Delhi during the upcoming Parliament in session,” Gaonkar said after the meeting.
Further, as an immediate action, the GPMDF has decided to handover a memorandum to North Goa MP and Union Ayush Minister Sripad Naik, RS MP Vinay Tendulkar, and South Goa MP Adv Narendra Savoikar, on September 19. The memorandum would seek a reply from vis-à-vis the efforts they would make for the immediate restarting of mining in Goa.
“If there is no positive response from the three MPs, then, the Front will observe a band on October 3 in Bicholim, Ponda, Sanguem, Sattari, Quepem and Dharbandora talukas,” Gaonkar said.
To make the bandh successful, the Front has planned to launch a campaign by distributing pamphlets and holding corner meetings in the mining belt seeking support of the people, including the shopkeepers, for the shutdown. However, no decision has been taken on whether to close the traffic in the mining belt during the day of bandh.
It was also decided to restart the dharnas which were temporarily halted on the eve of Ganesh Chaturthi. “If, even after all these efforts, no solution comes from government, then, around 1000 mining dependent will protest for three days at Jantar Mantar in Delhi during the upcoming Lok Sabha in session,” Gaonkar said.
