PONDA: The All Goa Truck Owners Association (AGTOA) has stated that Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar asked the truck owners to raise their demand for a hike in ore transportation rates with Vedanta Ltd. AGTOA added that Parsekar had assured to fulfill three other demands, which are scrapping of the contract system for ore transportation, Rs 8,000 monthly package for truck owners, and financial assistance to truckers who cannot repay their loans despite the government’s One-Time Settlement Scheme.
At a truck owners meeting at Bombay Road, Palim on Thursday, AGTOA President Nilkant Gawas stated that Parsekar and Sanquelim MLA Pramod Sawant, in a meeting with truck owners and Sesa representatives at the Sanquelim Ravindra Bhavan on Wednesday, assured to fulfill three of four demands, the fourth demand being the hike in ore transportation rates.
Accordingly, Gawas said, the truckers have scheduled a meeting with Vedanta officials on October 30 at 3 pm. The meeting place is not known. The truckers hope that the rates are increased from the present Rs 12.83 per tonne per kilometre to Rs 14 per tonne per kilometre.
Gawas said that Vedanta, during Wednesday’s meeting, agreed to increase the rate by 0.17 paise, while Sawant appealed for an additional increase of Re 1.
