Team Herald
PONDA: Goa Mining People’s Front (GMPF) leader Puti Gaonkar on Sunday appealed to the mining dependents and the people of Goa to support the bandh on February 26.
Addressing the media persons, he said the livelihood of around three lakh people including truck drivers, machinery owners, employees and direct and indirect dependents has been affected. Slamming the government for failing to restart mining in the State, he said the people in the mining belt would hoist black flags atop their houses to protest government’s failure and false promises.
The media briefing was attended by GMPF members Sandeep Parab, Sandeep Pauskar, Mahesh Gawas and Balaji Gawas.
Taking note of the bandh, various police stations in mining belt including the Ponda one have sent summons to mining leaders including Gaonkar and others to maintain law and order.
Gaonkar said the bandh call is given to protest the false government promises on restarting mining and that since February 7, 2018, mining in Goa has remained shut following the Supreme Court order and the government has totally failed to resume mining despite several agitations, hunger strike and even the massive agitation in Panjim.
The mining dependents had even led a morcha on BJP President Vinay Tendulkar’s Khadpabandh residence and also on the office of MGP President Deepak Dhavalikar at Ponda.
Besides, they had submitted a memorandum to all the three MPs to restart mining immediately and had also staged an agitation at Jantar Mantar in the Delhi hoping amendment to MMDR or an ordinance for recommencement of mining in the State. But they claimed that both the Central and State governments failed to restart mining.
Meanwhile, they informed that milk transporting vehicles, school buses, pharmacies and ambulances will be allowed to operate while all other heavy vehicles have been requested to remain off road.
GMPF has been working hard to make the Goa bandh in mining belt talukas successful as they have also approached business establishments in Panjim, Margao and Ponda to support the call by keeping their shops shut on February 26.
