The assurance was given to a Mission Bypass delegation, which met him at the Ravindra Bhavan, Curchorem, where he was attending a laptop distribution function for students of Quepem taluka under the cyberage scheme on Wednesday.
Quepem residents, under the banner of Mission Bypass, who were protesting ore transportation through Tilamol for the last two days, had assembled at the Ravindra Bhavan; they held placards, shouted slogans and later a submitted memorandum to Parsekar highlighting their demand to complete the mining corridor before the monsoons and resume mining activities thereafter.
After listening patiently to their grievances, Parsekar agreed that there should be control and checks on mining at the initial stage itself as it would not be possible to control the same once it started on a large scale.
“The government has lost around 20 percent revenue due to the mining ban and had to struggle a lot for the last four years. But that doesn’t mean mining can start anyhow and create the same old picture. It should not happen,” said Parsekar.
He assured to soon call a meeting of top officials, the local MLAs, and the representatives of Mission Bypass to find out what was hindering the completion of the mining bypass road.
Accepting that importance had not been given to requirements like mining bypasses and corridors during the mining ban, Parsekar said that importance had been given only to settling the problems of mining-dependent people, like truck and barge owners.
He also assured to complete the first phase of the bypass road on war footing. It may be recalled that the work had been abandoned by the contractor.
Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral and Sanguem MLA Subhash Phal Dessai were present for the meeting.
