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BJP State president and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar tried to pacify the mining dependents saying that within the next 15 days an ‘option’ will be in place to resume mining, while MGP president Deepak Dhavalikar has promised to be with the mining dependents and has threatened to withdraw support to the government if it fails to keep its word.
The members of Goa Mining Peoples Front led by Puti Gaonkar on Wednesday morning called upon Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar at his Khadpabandh residence and MGP president Deepak Dhavalikar in his office in Ponda, on their demand to restart mining.
Around 800-odd mining dependents gathered at Aguiar ground-Tisk and later walked to the resident of Tendulkar, which is around a kilometre away. Later they met Dhavalikar in his office in the vicinity.
Tendulkar told the mining dependents that they should not fall prey to rumors as something positive to restart mining will be in place. “Positive things will happen in the next 15 days. We will find an option to resume mining. Don’t listen to rumors,” Tendulkar said.
However, the mining dependents demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should give them an appointment to meet on this issue and should keep his promise given during last Lok Sabha election. “He had told us that mining will start in Goa, but nothing has happened. Now he should meet us and tell us what he plans to do,” the mining dependents said.
They also demanded a package till the mining restarts. To this, Tendulkar said that there is no need to give package as mining is definitely going to restart.
President of All Goa Mining Machinery Owners Association Sandip Parab told Tendulkar that if nothing happens then they will boycott the forthcoming Lok Sabha election. “If mining doesn’t restart, then we will boycott the Lok Sabha election,” he said.
Trying to pacify Parab, Tendulkar said that they are trying their level best. “All the three MPs met the Chief Minister on this issue. I am hopeful that he will work out some way. Within fifteen days, positive things will take place in this regard. It will be in the welfare of workers and all mining dependents,” he said.
According to mining dependents, when the ordinance is reportedly rejected by the Centre, then it is the responsibility of the BJP leaders to clarify what is the next option left. “We want to know whether the Central government is ready to amend the MMDR Act and also whether the government is serious on this issue,” another mining dependent said.
Puti Gaonkar has reiterated that if nothing happens then they will stage a dharna at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi and demanded that all the three MPs of Goa should remain present on all the three days during the first three days of the Parliament session.
