PANJIM: The All Goa Truck Owners Association (AGTOA) sounded the alarm on the severe plight of truckers and their families in the State, facing the fallout of mining ban and has called for attention to the human toll of this crisis.
AGTOA president Satish Gaonkar, said that ban on mining activity has thrown thousands of transporters and their families into financial turmoil. With businesses related to transport, hotels, and spare parts grinding to a standstill, the human cost of this prolonged mining limbo is immense, he added.
Urging immediate action from all stakeholders, Gaonkar said that though the government is trying to restart mining, the urgency of the matter cannot be overstated. He demanded that resolving the crisis, responsibly reinstating mining operations and mitigating the human toll must take precedence. The recent e-auction of mines had ignited a new hope in mining dependents who had been eagerly waiting for the mining activity to restart
AGTOA secretary Subhash Kinlekar, said the gravity of the crisis extends beyond numbers and it’s a human tragedy. Families are fracturing, children witness their parents’ struggles, and hope diminishes daily.
It’s time for the much-awaited resumption of mining to restore livelihoods and rebuild shattered futures.
The e-auction iron ore blocks last year for mining resumption had breathed a new life into the hopes of truckers and communities dependent on the industry.
The truck owners association has also appealed to every stakeholder to prioritise a resolution and not just economic revival, but the very fabric of communities woven around the once-thriving mining industry.
