the goan I network
CURCHOREM
The South Goa Truck Owners Association (SGTOA) has decided to sit on a dharna at Tisk-Usgao on Thursday to highlight their demands and to appeal to the Goa Foundation to withdraw its appeal in Supreme Court seeking a reduction in the interim cap on mining in the state from 20 to 12 million tonnes per annum (MTPA).
At a meeting in Sanvordem on Tuesday, the SGTOA also appealed to its members not ply their trucks for iron ore transportation till the issue of rate is resolved.
At a news conference after the meeting SGTOA President Prakash Raut Dessai informed that any reduction in
the interim cap on mining in the state from 20 to 12 MTPA would force them to close down their business activities and it would affect their livelihood.
Commenting on the ore transportation rate, Dessai said they had given a memorandum to then chief minister Laximkant Parsekar, who in turn, had assured to look into their grievances before the commencement of the next season.
"But nothing has been done after that. We then submitted the same demand to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who made similar assurances, but he too failed to solve our demands," said Dessai.
According to Dessai, their demand is a rate of Rs 14 per km per tonne and claimed that the government's rate of Rs 12.5 for up to 10 kms, Rs 12 for 10-19 kms and Rs 11.5 for above 20 kms was not acceptable to them.
SGTOA Secretary Satyawan Gaonkar, Jt Secretary Laximan Dessai, Treasurer
Cajitan Fernandes, Sesa Goa Truck Owners Association President Vallabh Dalvi and Secretary Gaurish Salgaonkar were present at the news conference.
