Mine-start Dharna begins in Delhi, dependents meet central leaders
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 25 April 2013 15:50 IST
CPI MP Gurudas Das Gupta addressing mining dependents' dharna in Delhi
Around 1500 members of Goa Mining Peoples’ Front started their two-day dharna at Jantar Mantar today morning, pressing for restarting of mines as fast as possible.
While a 10-member delegation today met several central leaders, the GMPF is also trying to seek an appointment with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
The dharna began with greetings from senior CPI MP Gurudas Das Gupta.
Later the delegation met union mines minister Dinsha J Patel along with union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar as well as Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumari along with union commerce minister Kamal Nath.
The delegation also met Rajya Sabha opposition leader Arun Jaitley.
GMPF convenor Suhas Naik told goanews.com that all the leaders, across the party line, responded positively and assured the delegation to try and speed up the disposal of the Supreme Court from government side.
Some of them have also assured them that they would personally talk to the Solicitor General of India in regard with the Goa case of mining ban pending before the Supreme Court.
Following Shah Commission report on illegalities in Goa’s mining industry, the apex court had banned mining operations in Goa totally, since October last year.
The case is now expected to come up for hearing after summer vacation once new forest bench is constituted.
Naik told goanews.com that they would try and meet all the leaders belonging to all the political parties, including Mrs Gandhi and PM Dr Singh.
On the other hand, several MPs are also personally paying visit to the striking mining dependent people, said Naik.
In the morning, North Goa MP Shripad Naik along with BJP spokesperson Prakash Jawadekar met the demonstrators.
