PONDA | Feb 04, 2016: The All Goa Truck Owners’ Association (AGTOA) has alleged that some mining companies in Goa are extracting ore without setting rates for its transportation through trucks.

It has warned of another major agitation if reasonable rates are not decided soon, and the consequences of the same will be borne by the mining companies and the government.

AGTOA has also informed that the truck owners would oppose the government’s decision to start ore transportation from 6 pm to 10 pm.

On Wednesday, AGTOA President Nilkant Gawas claimed that Vedanta was trying to divide the truck owners, and that the BJP government, like the erstwhile Congress government, had failed to control mining activities in Goa.

Gawas stated that the transportation rate for e-auctioned ore was Rs 11.10 per tonne per kilometre and for fresh rates, the truckers want around Rs 18. He appealed to mining companies to decide the rate soon as promised last month.

He also claimed that Vedanta had not fulfilled all its assurances given to the truckers to end their previous agitation; he stated that Vedanta had promised to ply 125 more trucks from mining belt route, but instead, it had it brought in trucks from outside the mining belt.

Gawas stressed that the truckers would not allow Vedanta to transport fresh ore if it does not meet with AGTOA to decide the transportation rates. He has also asked the government and Mines Department to intervene in the matter and direct Vedanta to meet with AGTOA to avoid another agitation.

Gawas reminded Vedanta of the truckers’ 36-day-long successful agitation and urged the truckers not to fall prey to Vedanta’s “divide and rule” tactics.

When questioned about the stock of the e-auctioned ore with mining companies, Gawas claimed that the companies were extracting ore and transporting the same as e-auctioned ore as the government have not appointed inspectors to watch the operations at mines. He called this a great injustice to truck owners and alleged that the BJP government had failed to control mining in the State.

Gawas finally appealed to the Government, mining companies and truck owners to sit together and carry out mining that would benefit Goa.

He also suggested that the Government reduce the fuel rates in Goa by reducing the VAT, which would even reduce inflation considerably as the transportation cost would decrease.

(Source: http://www.heraldgoa.in/)