Dharbandora truckers agree
to ply vehicles for Vedanta
Support NGTOA, SGPTOA for new rate in new season
THE GOAN NETWORK
PONDA
Truckers from Dharbandora have agreed to engage their vehicles with Vedanta for a transportation rate of Rs 10.01 per tonne per km and diesel for Rs 52.54 per litre, after company officials resolved their grievances.
However, the truckers have supported the move of the North Goa Tipper Owners' Association (NGTOA) and South Goa Progressive Truck Owners' Association (SGPTOA), who have sought government's intervention to fix the new rate for the new mining season.
Both the associations had appealed to truckers not to start mining transportation till the government fixes the new transportation rate.
When contacted, Dharbandora Sarpanch Balaji Gawas said: “If these associations are assuring us to give a better rate than this, then we are with them. We will stop ore transportation if they promise us a better rate than this.”
Joseph Coelho, head of operations at Vedanta, told The Goan that the company intends to start transportation from Tuesday.
It may be recalled that Dharbandora Panchayat had resolved to stop mining ore transportation during the rainy season and had foiled Vedanta's attempts on two occasions to transport ore to its Amona plant from Codli mines. Though a large police force was deployed at Dharbandora twice to protect drivers in the last week of July, Vedanta failed to resume transportation in the rainy season.
Though the Department of Mines and Geology had allowed Vedanta to transport ore after clarifying that its order to halt ore transportation during the monsoon would be relaxed for end users solely for domestic consumption, Vedanta had chosen not to defy public opposition at the time.
Vedanta officials, Balaji Gawas and other truck owners on Monday morning convened a meeting to discuss the issues related to mining transportation.
As per the minutes of the meeting, it was agreed to engage all trucks from the panchayat jurisdiction, by cancelling ‘P’ numbers (trucks of Vedanta staffers who were plying during opposition by locals).
“Sarpanch Vinayak Gawas is empowered to forward the list of truckers to be engaged,” states the meeting.
Sarpanch Gawas said: “The management has agreed to supply diesel from their own pumps at Rs 52.54 per litre and transportation rate is fixed at Rs 10.01 per tonne per km.”
“The management has also agreed to negotiate the GPS annual fees of Rs 8,000 with the Directorate of Mines and Geology,” Gawas informed.
Confirming these new rates, Coelho informed that ore transportation if freshly excavated ore would start from Tuesday," Coelho added.
