Team Herald
MARGAO: The South Goa truck owners could be on the verge of a division, after six executive members of the South Goa Truck Owners’ Association resigned on Thursday. The truckers reacted to the proposal of two mining companies tabled by the president of association, wherein a section of them disagreed on the rates which led to arguments during a meeting at Curchorem.
The meeting was called to take a final call on restarting transportation. The decision of the resignation was announced at a meeting at Ravindra Bhavan, Curchorem and attended by thousands of truckers. The six executive members were angered as there were several pending issues and felt that the association has not represented them enough.
The meeting, convened under the banner of the South Goa Progressive Truck Owners, saw clashes between the Sesa Goa Truck Owners Association and South Goa Truck Owners Association. Thousands of truck owners from Sanguem, Curchorem, Quepem and Savordem constituencies attended the meeting. The meeting was attended by South Goa Truck Owners president Prakash Raut Desai, and office bearers Laxman Desai, Caetan Fernandes and Satyawan Gaonkar. At the meeting, Desai presented the proposal from the two companies and said that if this rate is acceptable, then it was advised to take the decision to start the transportation.
On this issue, Sesa Goa Truck Owners Association President Vallabh Dalvi asked whether the proposal contains the government-decided rate or the mining companies themselves have fixed the rates. While criticising the office bearers of the South Goa Truck Owners Association, he said, “People who run the organisation for the last 15 years have not taken any steps to make the mineral transport rates hike.” Raut Dessai clarified that they have made several paperwork and posted to Government on this issue.
The meeting never decided on whether the transport will begin or not.
