Striking truckers also reject CM’s 3-slab formula
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 05 January 2016 23:33 IST
The striking mining truck owners also rejected today the three-slab formula proposed by Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, posing a question: What next?
After a meeting with CM and other officials, All Goa Truck Association president Nilkanth Gawas told media that CM’s formula is not acceptable to them.
Parsekar has proposed to them transportation rate for iron ore in three slabs:
Rs 9 per tonne per km for the first 10 kms,
Rs 8.20 per tonne per km for the next 20 kms, and
Rs 8 per tonne per km above 20 kms.
This is slightly higher than what Sesa Goa had offered them as a flat rate: Rs 8 per tonne per km.
The truckers, on the other hand, had come down from their original demand of Rs 17.32 per tonne per km to Rs 11.27 per tonne per km.
But Sesa Goa had rejected the proposal.
Agreement with Sesa Goa is crucial since the whole mining industry would implement the same formula thereafter.
When mining was booming in Goa before it was banned since 2012, the truckers were paid Rs 17.32, in spite of low price of diesel compared to today’s price.
The mining lease holders on the other hand are not prepared to pay the same rate or little lower citing falling dollar and crashing ore prices in the Chinese market, where Goa’s low grade ore sells.
Today’s meeting was also attended by directors of mines department and transport department, besides Sankhli MLA Pramod Sawant.
Sawant told media that the truckers have been assured that the proposed rates would not be altered even if dollar drops further or diesel prices fall.
The MLA hailing from mining area also fears that other miners may not come forward to mine if the stalemate continues.
Mining, the backbone of Goan economy since its liberation in 1961, has come to a standstill as it was banned by the Supreme Court for two years since 2012, then to complete procedural formalities after the ban was lifted last year and now due to the truckers’ strike.
Goans politicians and miners made crores from illegal mining and now poor Goans are fighting for the crumbs. What a joke. Vote again for Congress and BJP to destroy Goa completely.