Pirla mining workers threaten stir outside CM’s residence

Team Herald

SANGUEM: Around 35 mining workers from Maina-Pirla have threatened to lead an agitation outside the residence of Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant if the government fails to restart mining activities in the State at the earliest. Alternatively, the workers have demanded monthly compensation of Rs 5000 till the start of the mining operation as was assured by the government way back in 2018.

Union leader Manguesh Devidas informed that since the year 2018 they are left without job making them suffer in terms of any income for their survival. 

It is almost three years now we are left jobless but neither the company, for whom we worked, nor the government provided us any solace and financial help, claimed Devidas.

“Initially, when the mining activities were brought to grinding halt in the year 2012, the company provided us with compensation till 2018. But since 2018 the company also stopped giving us any compensation making us suffer to a great extent”, claimed a worker Rajesh Gaonkar.

Gaonkar informed that they were hopeful of mining business to start in soon but with the recent order, passed by the Supreme Court, all our hopes are shattered and it all now depends on the government to decide on the recourse of mining activities in Goa.

The agitated mining workers informed that if the government fails to take any concrete steps on the start of mining activities in the next few days than they will sit for an agitation at the chief minister’s residence.

“We have suffering a lot for last three years due to unavailability of job. No company is providing us jobs, either because of our advance age or for want of experience”, the workers said.

Devidas informed that their children are suffering as they cannot afford to provide them desired education and most importantly android phones for their online studies. Others claimed of their daughters having attained marriageable age and that it is beyond their means to arrange money for their marriage celebrations.

Devidas urged the government to start providing the affected mining workers a monthly compensation of Rs 5000 as was assured by the government in 2018, till the time the mining activities begins in Goa. “This will at least help us in meeting the daily expenditure and run our households to some extent”, claimed Devidas.