SANGUEM
Following the recent order by the Director of Mines and Geology to stakeholders who have obtained e-auctioned ore to transport the ore by March end, truck owners from Sanguem on Tuesday requested the government to extend the time limit by at least two months.
At a meeting, the truckers from Sanguem claim that under the present circumstances and the time limit framed by the government, it is not feasible to get their trucks back on the road as the cost incurred to get the trucks engaged in the business and the earning they would get in less than a month’s time would hardly give them any revenue.
They claimed that to get the trucks back on the road, they would have to spend almost Rs 70,000 to Rs 80,000, which includes road tax, insurance, fitness certificate and permit.
“After making all these expenses, if there is no regular work then there is no point in getting the trucks back on the road,” claimed a truck owner, Diogo Fernandes.
“The deadline set by the government needs to be extended by at least two months so that we truckers get some revenue after working for three months.The meagre 30-day time limit fixed by the government makes no sense and the government should reconsider the deadline,” added Fernandes.
The truckers also claimed that there are about 2 lakh tonnes of e-auctioned ore in Sanguem left to be transported and it is virtually impossible to get it transported in a month's time, claimed Fernandes
The truckers at the meeting also resolved to call upon Sanguem MLA Subhash Phaldessai this week and to present a memorandum to the government.
The Directorate of Mines and Geology had directed all companies who had bagged the e-auction to transport the balance quantity by March end, failing which the department has threatened to take possession of the auctioned ore and forfeit the amount paid by the parties.
