BICHOLIM
Araundekar was speaking to reporters after the joint meeting of representatives of Sonshi villagers and mining company officials at the office of deputy collector Bicholim on Thursday.
The meeting was convened under the guidance of Bicholim and Sattari deputy collector Araundekar. Valpoi Joint Mamlatdar Saiesh Naik, PSI Yeshwant Mandrekar, RSSB representative Sandeep Morazkar, VGR representative V Narayana Prasad, ILPL representative D P Pawar and Camilo V Fernandes, Ram Sawant and Sandeep Naik from Vedanta and local representatives, Vithoba Vantekar, Gopal Gawade and Vaibhavi Kalangutkar were present at the meeting.
“The mining companies refused to pay the agreed remuneration of Rs 225 per day to the women sweepers appointed to clean the dust on roads, as their work was not found satisfactory,” said Araundekar.
During the meeting, the villagers put forth a list of demands to be fulfilled by the companies, which included a demand to withdraw cases against 45 villagers who were arrested for blocking mining trucks on Tuesday.
According to Araundekar, the companies agreed to fulfil demands like solving the drinking water problem of the villagers, appointing a doctor in the village, enforcing ore transportation timings from 8 am to 6 pm with a break from 1 pm to 2 pm.
The companies also agreed to withdraw its proposal to purchase 117 additional trucks and agreed to follow the speed limit.
However, the mining companies refused to withdraw cases against the
arrested villagers.
The deputy collector directed the mining companies to take additional precaution like controlling pollution, erecting a green net in the mining area, covering trucks with tarpaulin, controlling speed limit, deploying security at road crossing points and avoiding traffic congestion on the main roads.
