TEAM HERALD
BICHOLIM: Demanding with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to come with an official notification to lift the suspension order on all mining leases, the Goa Mining People’s Front (GMPF) on Monday urged the people to join the rally at Panjim on August 29.
The first corner meeting of GMPF was held at Shivaji Desai Hall, Sanquelim, which was attended by about 1,000 people. Sanquelim MLA Dr Pramod Sawant, AITUC General Secretary Adv Raju Mangeshkar, Christopher Fonseca, GMPF Convenor Suhash Naik were among others present for the meeting.
“The chief minister should not just make announcements and statements regarding mining, but should come up with notification to lift the suspension order on all mining leases. The government should stop threatening the common people by filing FIRs, but should look who is really responsible for this mess,” stated Adv Suhash Naik.
Coming down heavily on the government, Adv Naik said it has broken the backbone of the common people. “On one side, it is trying to show that it is helping the people through schemes and on other side it has levied heavy taxes on everything. We demand that all the taxes should be removed by the government,” added Adv Naik.
Adv Mangeshkar told the public to come on streets and join the agitation in large numbers. “Till the time public do not agitate and force the government, they will not take any action to solve the problem,” he said.
Fonseca said all including the State, Central government and NGOs are busy taking credit of stopping mining activities in the State and no one is bothered about the common man.
MLA Dr Sawant expressed his personal view and said he is always with the people. “I am always with the mining affected people and has always voiced their concern,” he said.
