PANJIM, DEC 30
Transport department has recommended that State government should monitor registration of new mining trucks in the wake of Central government’s moratorium on mining in Goa.
Transport Director Arun Desai said that the department would be carrying out a detailed study on number of mining trucks and the effects of moratorium on mining on them.
“We will place the recommendations before the State government asking them to put some monitoring on registration of new mining trucks,” Desai said.
Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) had recently imposed moratorium on new mining leases and renewal of existing leases till Goa finalizes mining policy.
“We need to restrict the number of trucks so as to avoid the constant wrangling between them. With MoEF restriction on expansion of mining, there is no point in permitting more number of mining trucks,” Director said adding that replacement can be done if need arises.
Currently 8000-odd mining trucks are operational in the state. Other than these, around thousand more trucks from Karnataka runs here.
Meanwhile, Sesa Goa today told Chief Minister Digamber Kamat that they have hiked the freight rates to Rs 11.50 per tonne per kilometer. The mining firm was earlier paying Rs 6 per tonne per kilometer.
Confirming the hiked rate, Desai said that the new rates have been accepted by the truck operators. “This is a decent rate offered to them,” he said.
Bowing down to the demands of the truck operators, Fomento had already hiked the freight rates to Rs 11.27 per tonne per kilometer.
The State government’s restriction on carrying capacity and on timing had forced mining truck owners to demand for hike in freight rates as the rates offered to them were very less.
It’s been almost two months now, since the truck owners have put forth their demands. Pressing for a hike, All Goa Mining Truck Owners Association had finally given a strike notice of December 27.
