Team Herald
PONDA: Noting that the opposition was gaining ground by supporting the agitation of the All Goa Truck Owners Association (AGTOA) the BJP sent its MLAs to mediate with the truck owners on Thursday morning. The protesting truck owners were also taken by surprise to find that transportation of ore had been stopped and that the government had withdrawn the police force camping at Usgao despite their threat to stop ore transportation.
The government, according to AGTOA president Nilkant Gawas, which was ignoring them and asking them to manage with the rates being paid by the mining companies, bowed down and sought to discuss the issue as the agitation entered its 14th day. “The Congress leaders and Independent MLAs assurance to actively participate in the agitation strengthened us,” Gawas said.
BJP Goa President Vinay Tendulkar and MLAs Dr Pramod Sawant and Kiran Khandolkar came to Usgao to convince the truck owners to discuss the issue with the CM in Panjim, (see adjoining report)assuring them that the party was with them. Following the appeal AGTOA withdrew the agitation for a day.
Independent MLAs Vijai Sardesai, Bicholim MLA Naresh Sawal and Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco also arrived at Usgao to participate in the agitation and were surprised at the turn of events.
Sardesai asked the truck owners not to rely on the appraisal committee promise by government as it was a strategy to defuse the tension temporarily.
Naresh Sawal said the truck owners should remain united and not fall prey to tactics by the government to divide them.
Gawas said the government should bear in mind that it has been elected by the people and not by Vedanta from London. He thanked the Congress leaders and Independent MLAs for their support and so also the BJP delegation for arranging a meeting with the Chief Minister.
He said discussions on the rate hike will succeed if the 125 cases against truck owners filed in the past and 9 cases recently by Sesa Goa are withdrawn by the company.
