the goan I network
PONDA
Unhappy over the delayed process to resume mining, the Goa Mining Peoples Front (GMPF) on Friday demanded a monthly package of Rs 25,000 for mining dependents till the resumption of mining activity.
The GMPF has demanded this package before Ganesh Chaturthi festival, failing which it has threatened to intensify its agitation in Goa and in the national capital.
Addressing a news conference in Ponda, GMPF President Puti Gaonkar lamented that even though the resent State assembly had passed a resolution supporting necessary amendments, nothing had been done so far.
“Amending Section 2 of Goa Daman and Diu Mining Concessions (Abolition and Declaration as Mining Leases) Act 1987 will help in the resumption of mining. The government can promulgate an ordinance and start mining. The remaining processes can be pursued later. Let us at least start mining first,” Gaonkar said.
“Mining dependents including truck owners, machinery owners, drivers and workers of mining companies have no sources of income at present. How will they repay loans and celebrate Ganesh festival?” “In order to provide them with solace, the State government should give them a monthly package of Rs 25,000 till mining resumes in the State,” Gaonkar said.
He said that first package should be released seven days before Chaturthi.
“If nothing happens at the Central level in the next 25 days, we will agitate at Ramleela Maidan or Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. We request our Goan MPs to make arrangements for this agitation in Delhi as we don’t have the funds. We will meet them in this regards to seek their assistance,” he said.
Gaonkar said they had met Union Ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Nitin Gadkari, besides other leaders in New Delhi, to seek their intervention in the matter. “We had hoped for a positive outcome, but we now have a feeling that nothing is happening and hence, the only way is to agitate,” Gaonkar said and added ‘the State government keeps promising us to restart mining at the earliest, but nothing is being done to restart mining’.
President of All Goa Machinery Owners Association Sandip Parab, Suresh Desai and other mining dependents were present during the news conference.
