Team Herald
PANJIM: Over 2,000 to 3,000 mining dependents will converge at Azad Maidan on December 4 to decide the action plan for the sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi.
The mining affected have decided to protest during the first three days of the Parliament session, beginning from December 11, pressing for the immediate resumption of iron ore mining activities that have been shut for the last nine months.
The mining dependents, under the banner of ‘Goa Mining People’s Front’ (GMPF), on Saturday met at Azad Maidan, where they have been protesting for more than 160 days, demanding the commencement of mining operations.
Nearly 1000 people are expected to participate in the dharna, which will have participation of leaders from various political parties like BJP, Goa Forward Party, MGP, Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena.
Speaking to media persons, GMPF leader Puti Gaonkar said, “We have met the political leaders seeking their support and have invited them to be part of the protest in a bid to build up pressure on the Central government to amend the necessary provisions of the Act,” Gaonkar said.
On December 4, he said, “The action plan for Jantar Mantar (protest) will be decided during the meeting. We have already booked tickets and in the first phase, around 500 mining dependents will be leaving for Delhi in the first week of December.”
There have been media reports stating that the Centre has declined to move an ordinance to amend the Acts and so also the Union Law Ministry is not in favour of amending the MMDR Act. “There are these media reports; but we want the Central government to clarify to us. Let the government tell as what are they going to do. Or face the consequences at the Lok Sabha polls,” Goankar said.
Meanwhile, workers of Vedanta Ltd met GMPF leaders at Azad Maidan, where they expressed fear of retrenchment by the company if mining fails to restart by December 31. They said that Vedanta has so far not retrenched any worker despite the ban imposed in March.
Leaders of workers union of Vedanta expressed confidence that the relevant Acts would be amended in the Winter Session of Parliament; however, they criticised the bureaucratic delay in processing the file.
