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After being left jobless for over five months, the truck and machine owners in Goa have now pleaded for compensation from mining firms, till the Supreme Court vacates a ban on mining in the State.
The associations of truck and machinery owners held a press conference in Panaji today demanding immediate resumption of the legal iron ore extraction business in the State, which has been kept on hold by the Supreme Court, pending a report from the Central Empowered Committee (CEC).
The All Goa Truck Owners’ Association President Shamba Gawas said the truck owners had approached the respective mine owners to compensate them during the period when there is no business.
The mine owners are yet to respond to their demand, Gawas said.
According to rough figures, there are 21,000 trucks operating for various mining leases in Goa, of which 9,771 are registered with the Government to claim compensation during the current lean period.
The All Goa Machine Owners’ Association head Sandeep Parab said the then State Mines Minister, Mines Department officials and mine owners should be punished for the current situation, but while doing that the legal mines should be started immediately.
“If there was illegal mining then why did the Government let it happen for the last 10 years? Why did mine owners continue extracting ore illegally? They should have stopped it long back,” he said, adding that truck and machine operators were unaware that the ore being extracted was illegal.
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