MARGAO: Rejecting the restriction imposed by the government to allow a maximum of 600 trips of mining trucks per day from Cavrem to Capxem, residents of Cavrem have vowed not to allow mining transportation through the village. Their contention is that that all the four mines located in Cavrem are illegal as they have exceeded the quantum of mineral ore extraction permitted to them, many times over, and hence they should be shut down.
"The chief minister has admitted in the assembly and the leader of the opposition has asserted on several occasions that all the four mines operating in Cavrem are illegal. Therefore all these mines should be closed down immediately. There is no question of allowing mining trucks carrying illegally extracted ore. The residents are determined to block the roads if any attempt is made to resume mining transportation at Cavrem. The mining activities have destroyed the cashew plantations and paddy fields in the area, thus depriving the locals of their source of livelihood," Dilip Hegde, a social activist, told reporters.
Transportation through Cavrem-Maina has come to a standstill for the last several weeks following locals' agitation against illegal mining transportation through the village. However, it may be noted, at a high level meeting chaired by the chief minister Digambar Kamat on Thursday, it was decided that the number of mining trucks on all routes in South Goa be restricted to 600 per day from Monday.
Earlier, some 200 residents of Cavrem and members of village groups, holding placards led a silent morcha from Lohia maidan, Margao to the Malbhat residence of chief minister Digambar Kamat Sunday morning where they held a dharna (sit-in protest). Police swung into action and tried to drive the protestors away. This infuriated the agitating people who questioned the police's "intimidating tactics" when they have been squatting peacefully on the roadside. Senior police officials then intervened and allowed a delegation of five persons to meet the chief minister.
The delegation demanded that the police step up their investigations into the Nilesh Gaonkar assault case and arrest the assailants. They also demanded that the mine owners and truck transporters from the area be interrogated by the police in that regard.
Who is the government fooling? 600 trips means : 1 loaded trip every minute if they ply 10 hours a day. Which also means 1 empty return trip in that one minute. i.e. one loaded and one empty trip every minute for 10 hours.
ReplyDeleteEach trip of 80 grade magnese is worth Rs 6 lakhs. Valuable Earth removed form Goa is sent to China and Japan. This is our wealth, government wealth and not of the private parties. Everything 10 feet below the ground is the property of the Government but who will listen? All people engaged in the mining business are the criminals in association with the government. The State is at a loss. Any one know about Ritesh Naik, son of Ravi naik? He is silently looting Goa in the mining industry and now want to contest elections in Mayem. The other one is making or turning Goans into drug addicts.
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of police force do we have, that swing into action and indulge in 'intimidating tactics" against peaceful people squatting on the roadside, necessitating the intervention of senior police officials? Don't the police know how to behave with people in a democracy?
ReplyDeleteBut all brutalities and atrocities will come to an end, when the government creates a new Goa where there will be no pains and sorrows and only happiness and happiness alone, as promised by the Hon. Chief Minister in his budget 2011-12 speech.
The Americans created Bin Ladin and in the end they feed him to the fish in the deep sea. The Goans have created 40 Bin Ladins, so the time has come for the Goans to feed them to the stray dogs on the streets. Our Goa will never progress and prosper under these 40 Bin Ladins, so we have to get rid of them as soon as possible.
ReplyDelete