PANAJI
Transport of e-auctioned ore from mines through the village of Cavrem will resume on Wednesday after Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said he was misled by the villagers led by Ravindra Velip.
Speaking to reporters after emerging from a meeting, the chief minister said that ore transport will resume.
“They had initially told me that the ore was being ferried without there being weigh bridges and other illegalities. I was of the opinion that if there are illegalities then the transport should stop,” Parsekar said.
“It has all been clarified now. The ore transport will resume from tomorrow and no one will stop it. No one will be allowed to take the state for a ride and all laws will be respected,” Parsekar said.
During the meeting, attention was drawn to an order of the High Court which ordered that the government “provide police assistance... as and when required to ensure that there is no obstruction to the transportation of ore through the public road from the concerned mine to the Maina jetty,” the order passed on March 21, said.
“Any legitimate action by the citizens would have to be peaceful, non-violent and without taking law in their own hands,” the order reads.
Speaking after emerging from the meeting Velip said that they couldn’t place any of their demands before the Chief Minister as he was in a ‘different mood’ than on Monday.
Asked to react on Chief Minister’s insistence that mining ore transport will continue, Velip said that the decision would be taken by the villagers collectively.
“Our main demand is that of cooperative mining. That is our larger demand and we will continue to fight for it,” Velip said.
Mining officials who were present for the meeting said there was no question of any loopholes since all the ore that is being moved is weighed and tracked.
“The ore that is stacked at an mine is only an estimation. It is only when it is moved and weighed do we know how much is there. The more is moved the better for us as the State will get more revenue,” the official who didn’t wish to be quoted said.
“He ruled out a false declaration on the grade of the ore too since the ore that is being exported is graded by the customs department before it is exported,” he said adding that an electronic system was in place to ensure that there is no fudging of figures.
