PONDA: Around 1000 mining dependents on Wednesday took out a morcha in Ponda town and marched to the residence of BJP president Vinay Tendulkar and later to MGP chief Deepak Dhavalikar’s office seeking a clarification on the mining issue.
Earlier, the protestors gathered at Aguiar ground with placards and shouted slogans demanding resumption of mining in the State.
One of the placards displayed a message calling upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi to honour the promise given during the 2014 elections.
The mining dependents, led by Goa Mining People’s Front (GMPF) president Puthi Gaonkar, marched to Tendulkar’s residence at Khadpabandh and expressed shock over the Central government’s refusal to come out with an ordinance on mining.
They accused the State and Central ministers of making false promises on restarting mining and vowed not fall prey to such hollow promises in the future.
The mining dependents said it is question of their survival and livelihood and added that they have been assured several times on resumption of mining for the past eight months from State and Central Ministers including Union Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.
They said PWD Minister Ramkrishna Dhavalikar too had assured to restart mining in November at Ganesh Festival function in Bicholim and added they are now fed up and frustrated as nothing has materialised despite the BJP being in power in the State and at the Centre.
The mining dependents demanded that BJP president Vinay Tendulkar arrange an urgent appointment with the Prime Minister. They claimed that they are in the dark as to whether the government would amend the MMDR Act or not to restart mining in the State and demanded that a delegation of mining dependents be allowed to meet the PM to know the truth.
“Presently, two-lakh tonnes ore have been imported from Australia and with this ore if companies continue with mining activities, how will the dependents survive,” Balaji Gawas asked.
They also recalled that following the mining closure in 2012 the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had given them four to five appointments on issue.
Tendulkar assured them that efforts are on to resolve the issue and informed them that recently the three MPs met Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar seeking an immediate solution to mining.
He informed them that the responsibility of mining issue has been handed over to South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar and added that the State and Central governments would definitely find a solution within 15 days in the interest of all mining stakeholders.
“If a solution does not follow then as planned we will launch a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on the first three days of the Parliament session and all three MPs and mining belt MLAs should participate and support us in the protest,” Gaonkar said.
Later the mining dependents marched to the office of MGP president Dhavalikar and demanded that the party come clear on the issue or withdraw its support to BJP government if it fails to come out with a solution in the forthcoming Parliament session.
Gawas complained to Dhavalikar about the iron ore import from Australia and demanded that since mining is a seasonal business, the government should charge quarterly tax from the truck owners.
Dhavalikar said the government should take a final decision on mining and should come out with an MMDR Act amendment in Parliament and in case it fails, the government should take over around 506 mining leases and immediately auction them. The auction proceeds should be used to provide immediate relief to mining dependents.
He said MGP would wait until December 15 for solution on mining and in case the government fails to find a solution, then MGP would consider withdrawing support to the government.
He said he had spoken to the BJP president to lead an all party delegation along with mining dependents to PM Modi within eight days time to discuss the crisis.
