TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
VASCO/CURCHOREM: The Goa Mining People’s Front (GMPF) has drummed up further support for the resumption of legal mining activities, by holding a meeting at Curchorem on Friday evening and planning another meet in Vasco on Monday.
Addressing the meet at Curchorem, Trade Union Leader Christopher Fonseca warned that those dependent on mining activities would intensify their agitation, “if mining does not start after the Ganesh Chatruthi.”
“We will not allow central government offices to function, including the railways and airport. We will close even the courts because of the injustice to the people of Goa. Keeping an ex-parte injunction for 12 months is an injustice on lakhs of people in the State,” said Fonseca.
AITUC General Secretary Adv Raju Mangeshkar said mining is the only industry in the State to have a workforce comprising 85 per cent Goans. “It is the responsibility of all Goans to fight to resume mining in Goa,” said Mangeshkar.
Sanguem MLA Subash Phal Dessai said he would request Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to declare the party’s support to the GMPF.
“I will tell the CM that the agitation is not against the government but to show the unity and necessity to start legal mining in Goa as early as possible,” he said.
Other speakers included GMPF convenor Adv Suhas Naik and presidents of the North and South Goa Truck Owners Associations.
Meanwhile, the GMPF said it would hold a public meeting near the Mormugao Municipal Building at 4.30 pm on Monday.
Addressing a press conference, Goa Barge Owners Association President Atul Jadav said the meeting has been convened to express the hardship of those people dependent on mining related activities.
Shipping Agents Association President Manu Thakkar estimated that 2000 workers employed with 50 shipping agents in the State had been left in the lurch with a delay in resumption of mining activities.
“Earlier, the ship agents used to handle around 1600 ships per year, due to which the Mormugao Port Trust used to earn about Rs 1,000 crore. But due to the mining ban, the number of ships handled at the MPT has come down to 300 and the revenue of the port has fallen by a third,” said Thakkar.
