the goan I network
PONDA
The Goa Mining People’s Front has decided to stage a bandh in the six talukas -- Quepem, Bicholim, Dharbandora, Sanguem, Ponda and Sattari -- on October 3 to pressurise the government to resume mining activity.
The GMPF has also threatened to stage a three-day protest with the participation of 1,000 mining dependents at Jantar Mantar in Delhi during the first three days of forthcoming Parliament session.
These decisions were taken at a meeting chaired by GMPF Convenor Puti Gaonkar at Tisk-Usgao on Tuesday evening.
During the meeting, the GMPF decided to resume its agitation by staging dharnas in mining belts from September 25. They had discontinued the agitation following assurances from BJP leaders that would make put in efforts to resume mining activity.
“We will meet Union Ayush Minister Shripad Naik on Wednesday morning to submit a memorandum and we will also meet the other two MPs. We will request them to help us resume mining,” Gaonkar said.
Justifying the resumption of their agitation, Gaonkar added: “We have been forced to intensify our agitation as nothing has been done by both governments to resume mining activity.”
“Hence, we will first agitate in Goa and if the government fails to resume mining, we will then hold a dharna in Delhi. One thousand mining dependents are expected to participate in this dharna,” he said.
Asked if the government had responded to the demand of the mining dependents for a monthly package of Rs 25,000, Gaonkar replied in the negative.
“The present political situation has hampered everything and the government did not respond to our demand for a package,” said Gaonkar.
Unhappy over the delayed process to resume mining, GMPF had demanded a monthly package of Rs 25,000 for mining dependents till the resumption of mining activity.
The GMPF had demanded this package before Ganesh Chaturthi festival, failing which it had threatened to intensify its agitation in Goa and in the national capital.
Gaonkar lamented that even though the recent 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. The president of Dharbandora Taluka Truck Owners Association Vinayak alias Balaji Gawas, Sandip Pauskar, and other leaders were present on the occasion.
Former president of Barge Owners Association Atul Jadhav demanded immediate resumption of mining as the burden of loans has been increasing with every passing day. “Paying off the loans is a big problem,” he said.
