PONDA: Much like a deposit of ore that fills cracks in layers of rock, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal offered a “lode” of promises to narrow the distance between AAP and the mining affected. The Delhi Chief Minister, entered a disenchanted mining country to meet mining affected workers shortly after he met striking workers of the Western India Shipyard Limited (WISL).
He listened to the grievances of truck owners, truck drivers, machine owners and other mining dependant people at Tisk Usgao and then said exactly what many leaders they wanted to hear.
Standing on a table as the meeting had to be moved to an open ground as the hall was too small for the large crowd, Kejriwal assured the mining affected that within 10 days of coming to power AAP will give immediate relief to mining affected truck drivers who have been neglected during the past four years.
Taking note of complaints by mining dependants, Kejriwal said the AAP government will recover the Rs 35,000 crore mining losses and this will be used for the welfare of mining dependent people and for sustainable mining. He promised a mining master plan formulated by experts which will be an ideal model. “This model will be such that the concept in people’s mind that mining means corruption and environmental degradation will be permanently wiped out,” he said.
Kejriwal said, “We will approach the Supreme Court and convince it to change the mining extraction cap of 20,000 million tonnes to around 30 to 40 million tonnes to be undertaken in a sustainable manner by providing scientific methods.”
He said Goa needs a change in government with honest people. He said Delhi gave AAP 67 out of 70 seats and that he wants at least 35 seats in Goa for AAP. He asked people to go to every nook and corner to campaign for a change. “The Aam Aadmi Party made history in Delhi and now it’s the turn of Goa,” he said.
He criticised former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar stating that when he was Chief Minister he closed mining operations but did nothing for its revival. He added that truck drivers and mining dependants are the backbone of country and that BJP is acting as if they are doing the mining dependants a favour, but it must be borne in mind that it is their responsibility and they have failed in it.
Earlier, the mining dependants and Truck Owners’ Association president Nilkant Gawas, secretary Satyawan Gaonkar, Machine Owners’ Association president Sandeep Parab and Vishnu Sawal of Truck Driver’s Association met Kejriwal with their problems.
Parab said that for the first time their plight was heard by anyone and appreciated Kejriwal for it.
