PONDA: The Goa Mining People’s Front (GMPF) has demanded that former advocate general Atmaram Nadkarni be replaced with another senior counsel to handle the mining matter in the Supreme Court of India.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, GMPF leader Puti Gaonkar said that the mining dependents fear that Nadkarni may not present the mining case properly before the Supreme Court as he has already expressed his opinion that auction is the only option for restarting mining.
Gaonkar said that the position of Nadkarni is opposed to the position of GMPF which wants the government to file an affidavit in the Supreme Court for implementing the resolution passed in the Goa Assembly for bringing an amendment to Section 2 of Goa Mining Concession and Abolition Act, 1987, with prospective effect.
The GMPF leader said that the code of conduct for the Lok Sabha (LS) elections would come into force anytime soon in the State and that there is no scope that the BJP government would bring in an Ordinance or an Amendment to MMDR. Therefore, he said, the mining dependents have decided to go on a morcha to the Secretariat on March 14, to present a memorandum to the Chief Secretary demanding replacement of Nadkarni and appointment of a senior counsel to handle the mining case before the Supreme Court.
Gaonkar said that the memorandum would also urge the Chief Secretary to file and affidavit in SC on behalf of State Government that it has passed a resolution in the Goa Assembly bring an amendment to Section 2 of Goa Mining Concession and Abolition Act, 1987, with prospective effect.
Gaonkar has appealed to all the mining dependents to gather at the Azad Maidan in Panjim on March 14 at 10.30 am and from there go on a morcha to the Secretariat.
Gaonkar informed that GMPF is trying to become a party to the Goa mining matter in the SC to present the case of the mining dependents before the Apex court.
He said that the government has indicated that it would auction the mines in Goa; while doing so, the government is unlikely protect the livelihood of the existing truck drivers, machinery owners and thousands of employees engaged in mining companies. Hence, Gaonkar said, GMPF wants to present the case of the mining dependents in the SC.
He reiterated his stand that that since sitting MPs in Goa failed to restart mining in Goa, they should not contest the elections. He said that the GMPF has already appealed the people in the mining belt to vote for those candidates who are capable of solving their problems in upcoming LS election.
