PONDA: The All Goa Truck Owners Association (AGTOA) on Friday suspended its agitation till Monday, following an assurance from the state administration that Vedanta would not carry out ore transportation activity.
Stating this at a meeting with the protesting truck operators, AGTOA President Nilkanth Gawas also warned them not to trust the BJP leaders.
“These BJP leaders are not trustworthy people. They use our stage and give us assurances, which they never fulfil,” Gawas said.
“It was insulting that they (BJP) invited us to a meeting and did not pass our demands. In fact, BJP State President Vinay Tendulkar, Tivim MLA Kiran Kandolkar and Sakhali MLA Dr Pramod Sawant remained mum over the issue in front of Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar. Don’t trust them,” Gawas advised the AGTOA members.
“They are now demanding a rate of Rs 11.27 per tonne per kilometme to transport the ore, besides subsidised diesel at Rs 39.60 per litre. Let the difference in the amount of diesel be borne by government and the company bear the difference of Rs 3.27 for transportation,” Gawas added.
Gawas has threatened that the protesting truckers would set the trucks on fire if the transportation is resumed on Monday.
He stated that Ponda DySP Sunita Sawant had informed them that Vedanta would not transport the ore on Friday as well.
