Team Herald
PONDA: with All Party Delegation failing to give respite and mining ore extraction activities to come to closure in next four days for long a break, there is sympathy for the thousands of mining dependents, including truck owners and truck drivers and those involved in activities like spare parts, repairs, tyre punctures, lunch and meal providing hotels, etc. All know what is in store for them from the previous ban.
The locals who are not at all connected with mining activities in Usgao, Dharbandora, Pali, Surla but who are suffering pollution and other troubles due to continuous plying of ore transporting and currently not even getting a chance to cross the road realising that the mining is going to close in next few days and their mining dependent brothers are going to suffer a hard blow just like 2012 mining ban, are allowing the trucks who are almost violating rules to transport ore allowing them till late night from early morning 6 am to late night after 9.30 pm just to sympathise with the mine dependents whose livelihood was dependent on it. The time allotted for ore transportation is from 8 am to 6 pm evening.
While on the other hand the Mining dependents, who had invested lot of money to restart their business after gap of four years from 2012 mining ban, are cursing for their fate and are in panic not knowing what to do next after ban comes into force in the next four days. They are worried and in panic and an uneasy calm prevails among these dependents as they have experienced and suffered a lot during earlier mining ban in 2012, which lasted for almost four years.
“Not only truck drivers had invested over lakhs of rupees, including Insurance and taxes to bring truck roadworthy for mining but also many shop owners, businessmen had invested money by mortaging with greater hope for livelihood but SC order had now hit them very hard,” says one of the dependents from Usgao.
Nilkant Gawas ,who is the All Goa Truck Owners Association President, had cursed the BJP Government for failing to bring a mining policy in place since 2012 ban. “It just cheated the mining belt people by their false assurances and they even got elected for Lok Sabha election in 2014. Not only I but thousands of truck owners and mining dependents are worried over their children as to how to provide education and pursue their higher studies in absence of lack of business. This second mining ban will be a worst blow on mining dependents and the government has failed to answer what is their next step to solve this issue,” Gawas said.
As per order of DMG, workers are directed to stop ore extraction from March13. On March 14, transportation activities are ordered to halt and clear sites with all kinds of immovable Machinery by March 15 and shut down activities from March 16.
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Kavlekar, Shantaram blast BJP
The Congress President and Opposition leader have lambasted the way the BJP Government is presently handling the contentious mining issue and the overall Governance. The Congress has called the three ministers appointment as unconstitutional and also the video conferencing plan as a farce.
The Congress President Shantaram Naik and Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Babu Kavlekar addressed the press briefing.
Kavlekar has alleged that the BJP is not at all serious on the issue and the livelihood of thousands of mining dependents in Goa. “The delegation met, the issue was highlighted all over Goa, however, there has been not one meeting called by the three CM appointees to discuss the way ahead,” said Kavlekar. “BJP is fooling the mining dependents by making non-fruitful attempts to resume mining,” he added.
Shantaram Naik said: “The three chief ministers’ appointment by the Chief Minister and the announcement of interaction on video conferencing is also unconstitutional as there is no provision in the procedures.”
