PONDA: The All Goa Truck Owners’ Association (AGTOA) has decided to resume transportation of ore from Monday after Vedanta assured to fulfill its demands, including a hike in the rate of ore transportation.
On Friday, AGTOA members decided to keep their trucks off the roads and also block other mining trucks after Vedanta turned down their demand for their hike, besides three other demands. Accordingly, on Saturday, around 400 AGTOA members from Pale, Kothambi, Velguem, Sonashi, Surla, Amona, Navelim and
surrounding areas stopped around 17 ore-laden trucks at Bombay Road at the Pale-Kothmabi junction.
The agitating truck owners also forced the police and traffic officers to challan the trucks after it was found that they did not possess important documents, including licenses and RC books. A strong police force had been deployed to the area to maintain law and order.
In the evening, Sanquelim MLA Pramod Sawant, AGTOA president Nilkant Gawas, Bicholim Dy SP Ramesh Gaonkar, PI Ninad Deulkar, and Vedanta officials held a meeting at the Bhamai-Palim police outpost to resolve the truck owners issues.
The Vedanta officials assured to fulfill their demands, including the hike in ore transportation rates, following which AGTOA withdrew its agitation and allowed the 17 blocked trucks to leave. Vedanta is yet to decide by how much the rates will be hiked.
It was also decided to hold a joint meeting with Vedanta officials, MLA Sawant, AGTOA and Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on November 4.
“For accounting purposes, any quantity of ore that is loaded in a truck will he considered as a 10 tonne load. On Monday, the distance between the loading and unloading points will be measured, and based on that payment will be made to the truck owners. Ore-transporting trucks will be allotted diesel from a private petrol pump, and due to this, the truckers will save Rs 0.40 paise per litre,” said Sawant while addresing the press.
