PANAJI
Ahead of a protest planned by Surla villagers on Monday against the proposed handling of an iron ore dump by the Salgaoncar mining company, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday assured them that the government would not grant final permission for the activity until all issues raised by the affected villagers, including compensation, were resolved.
In a video appeal, Sawant urged the villagers to trust him, assuring them that mining operations and dump handling in Surla would not resume until their demands and concerns were addressed. “The company has got some permission for dump handling; however, the final permission from the government has not yet been granted. We will ensure that permission is granted only after all the issues raised by the villagers pertaining to compensation, tenants and others are resolved,” Sawant said.
He said a meeting between the villagers and company officials would be convened shortly to work out a solution.
The Chief Minister said the company had already paid Rs 3 crore to farmers and that another Rs 3 crore would be paid shortly, out of a total compensation of Rs 12 crore.
The assurance comes amid growing opposition to the proposed handling of a 35-year-old mineral dump estimated to contain 19.85 million tonnes of ore. The villagers have threatened mass agitation, questioning the valuation of the mineral at around Rs 4,500 crore against an estimated government share of only Rs 200 crore.
They have also raised concerns over the alleged absence of a panchayat no-objection certificate (NOC) for the proposed activity.
“Why should the environment and future of Surla village be put at stake for Rs 200 crore when the mineral is worth around Rs 4,500 crore?” the villagers asked.
The villagers have maintained that their concerns over compensation, environmental impact and the future of the village must be addressed before the proposed dump handling is allowed to proceed.
