Team Herald
PONDA: After failing to get an appointment to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Goa Mining Peoples Front (GMPF) has now decided to question him when he interacts with around 4000 South Goa booth level party workers through video conferencing on January 20.
GMPF leader Puti Gaonkar said that Modi is scheduled to interact with booth level workers through video conferencing and the workers would gather at Margao for the event. Taking benefit of the event, the mining dependents would question Modi on the mining issue, Gaonkar said.
The mining dependents had launched several agitations in Goa and Delhi hoping for an appointment with the prime minister. They even had threatened to protest during the inauguration of Khandepar Bridge. Following this, PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar had twice promised to fix an appointment with Modi.
Therefore, the GMPF had even planned to visit Sudin’s house on Thursday over his promise to fix an appointment with PM before Jan 16, but cancelled it saying he has failed to honour his promise.
Meanwhile, Gaonkar said that if Modi doesn’t meet the mining dependents or mining is resumed before the inauguration of the third Mandovi Bridge, they would protest against the PM when he comes to inaugurate the bridge.
After the meeting of GMPF coordination committee at Ponda on Thursday, Gaonkar said that the rasta roko scheduled on January 21 at Sanquelim, has been postponed till January 30 as BJP President Amith Shah has assured a solution for resumption of mining by then.
However, if no solution is found by January 30, Gaonkar warned, “We will campaign against the BJP government in Shiroda and Mandrem and will urge the voters not to vote for BJP candidates.”
When pointed out that 69 villages in Goa have been identified as eco sensitive zone hindering mining, he said, “It will snatch the livelihood and halt development affecting survival of the people.”
Blaming the three MPs for including 69 villages in eco sensitive zone, Gaonkar said, “The three MPs should urgently raise objection before the Central Government and ask for de-notification of these villages.”
He said that there is 54 percent forest cover in Goa which is the highest anywhere in the country.
