Team Herald
PANJIM: Failing to get any assurance from the State government, mining dependents have decided to hold a massive protest march to the Legislative Assembly during its monsoon session scheduled next month, pressing for their demand of immediate resumption of iron ore activities, which have been suspended since March 16.
Hundreds of people dependent on the mining industry organised a peaceful dharna at Azad Maidan under the banner of Goa Mining People’s Front (GMPF). The sit-in will continue in four places including Panjim from Tuesday, until the government has a solution to resume mining activities.
Protestors have demanded that the Union Government promulgate an ordinance giving life to leases till 2037 so that operations can resume, which will help in protecting the livelihood of nearly two lakh people.
“We will hold a sit-in protest at Panjim, Bicholim, Sankhalim, Dharbandora and Sanvordem under the banner of GMPF. It would be day-long sit in and it will continue till our demands are met. It will be indefinite,” GMPF president Puti Gaonkar said.
Gaonkar said that mining dependents have been “upset and distressed” with the conduct of the BJP-led government. “We have decided to hold a massive march on the State Legislative Assembly when the monsoon session begins. We will sit in front of the Assembly till our demands are met. The government has taken us for granted but we are not going to keep quiet,” he said.
Gaonkar also warned that mining dependents will undertake a house-to-house awareness campaign against the government exposing the failure to resume the mining industry.
“We have wasted lot of time trusting the government. They had given us a deadline of June 7 to solve the issue. But we have crossed that deadline too. At least now the government should do something,” he said.
