PALE-SURLA INCIDENT
Truckers set truck ablaze, says
Vedanta in police complaint
Byline: The Goan Network
Vedanta has filed a police complaint against truck owners who it alleges had created nuisance, threatened to assault some of its employees and even set a truck ablaze. The police complaint which was filed at Bicholim police station pertains to event that took place on December 4, 2015.
The complaint says, “More than 100 people led by Nilkant Gauns, Shivdas Madkar, Riyaz Sheikh, Balaji Gauns and Mangaldas Naik gathered near the Bombay junction unlawfully and started created nuisance in the presence of police personnel deployed. Thus creating serious law and order issue”
The complaint further adds, “Some trucks which were carrying iron ore from Codli mines were damaged due to stone-pelting and even few truck drivers got hurt.”
On the day of the event, few truck owners had alleged that the incident could have been a “mischief” played by a mining company to create a rift between sections of truck owners. But, Vedanta has complained that it was the truck owners who had created the issue.
The truck owners association is believed to have told Vedanta that they were ready to ply their trucks for moving iron ore at Rs 7 per tonne per kilometre as against the present rate of Rs 8; but in return, they expected the company to discontinue existing trucks it has engaged with and in their place engage with trucks the association was recommending.
To this demand, Vedanta’s official had said that it is not possible to stop engaging with existing trucks, but it will consider engaging trucks of owners residing within 400 meters either side from the main ore transport route (Codli-Surla-Amona)
December 4, 2015 is said to have been a very tough day for Vedanta, as the company’s police complaint added, “A group of people forcefully stopped a truck and threatened the driver with dire consequences and set ablaze the said truck”.
When the company’s officials went to take stock of this situation, a mob started pelting stones. The officials had a narrow escape. The crowd even assaulted one of company’s manager. The complaint says, “We have identified Vibhav Fatrekar, Samir Fatrekar, Sagar, Nitesh Namdev Gawas, Samir Vitobha Gawas, Ajit Vitobha Gawas and Manohar Vasant Gawas were part of mob”
The complaint further said that even this incident was instigated by Nilkant Gauns, Shivdas Madkar, Riyaz Sheikh, Balaji Gauns and Mangaldas Naik.
