PONDA
Mining dependents on Friday morning confronted PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar when he had gone to inaugurate the RTO office at Dharbandora, but later toned down and called off their proposed agitation to obstruct the inauguration of Khandepar bridge which on Saturday evening.
The Goa Mining People Front (GMPF) had announced plans to agitate during the inauguration of the Khandepar bridge, which was earlier scheduled for Sunday.
The inauguration was then advanced to Saturday as various officials and politicians were persuading the mining dependents to call off their agitation.
The GMPF was, however, firm on its decision to protest at the inauguration of
the bridge.
On Friday morning, the mining dependents confronted Dhavalikar at Dharbandora and asked him about steps being taken by the government for the resumption of mining activity.
They were not pacified despite assurances by Dhavalikar to resolve the issue by taking a delegation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“I am fully with the mining dependents. The delegation will meet the prime minister on this issue and we can resolve it,” Dhavalikar told the mining dependents.
Sensing that the mining dependents were in no mood to cancel their agitation, they were invited by the South Goa collector for talks in the matter. South Goa SP Arvind Gawas and officials of revenue courts from Ponda and Dharbandora were also present at the meeting.
During the meeting, the mining dependents had put a condition stating they would call off their agitation only if the government were to give them concrete assurances in the matter.
The officials later conveyed their demands to Dhavalikar and another meeting was convened at his residence in Mahalaxmi-Bandora late Friday evening.
GMPF convenor Puti Gaonkar and president of Dharbandora Taluka Truck Owners Association Vinayak alias Balaji Gaonkar attended the meeting, which was also attended by SP Gawas, DySP Mahesh Gaonkar, police inspector Harish Madkaikar and officers of revenue court.
During the hour-long meeting, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar telephoned them and gave them an assurance to resolve the issue.
Balaji Gauns told The Goan that they had called off their agitation only after chief minister spoke to Puti Gaonkar. “The chief minister has assured to resolve the issue by sending a delegation to meet the prime minister. As such, we have called off our agitation,” Gauns said.
Interestingly, sources informed that the home department was equally keen to defuse the situation fearing a law and order problem during the agitation.
