Team Herald
PANJIM: Villagers and farmers of Shirgao-Mayem have requested the authorities to first resolve their problems before starting mining activities, failing which they have threatened to stop the operations in the village.
Poira mine, the erstwhile Chowgule Mine, which falls under the Shirgao-Mayem mining block, has now been auctioned and given to Salgaocar. There is an attempt to start mining activities at this mine.
A joint meeting between the farmers, villagers and the local MLA Premendra Shet was held at Bicholim on Wednesday at the Deputy Collector's office in Bicholim to discuss the problems faced by the locals and farmers.
Deputy Collector Rohan Kaskar, Mamlatdar Pravin Gawas and representatives of Salgaocar were present.
Except for Mayem sarpanch Vainguinim Krishna Chodankar, Suvarna Chodankar, Vasudev Gaonkar and Dilip Shet, the other seven panchas failed to turn up.
Krishna Gadekar, Sakharam Pednekar, Krishna Chodankar, Ramesh Mainkar, Vishwesh Chodankar, Tulsidas Chodankar, Vijay Pole and other villagers spoke at the meeting.
The representative of Salgaocar company has assured to take up the concerns expressed by the villagers seriously and find solutions.
The MLA said, “Resolve the problems of the villagers before starting mining activities.”
“Our land will be utilised for mining activity, but the compensation for the same is not acceptable,” the locals said.
MLA Shet said, “We have resolved to place the demands of villagers and farmers through a memorandum to the government.”
It may be recalled that the Shirgao-Mayem villages have been facing various problems arising from mining activities including loss of agricultural lands, transportation, retrenchments and water problems.