Ponda: Goa Mining People’s Front on Thursday mounted pressure on ruling BJP by announcing that they would be protesting outside the public functions of all the three Members of Parliament from the party.
Goa Mining People’s Front (GMPF), an umbrella organization of the people dependent on mining industry, on Thursday held demonstrations outside the private residences of two BJP MPs – Vinay Tendulkar (RS) and Narendra Sawaikar (LS) in Ponda.
The protestors were condemning the delay on the part of BJP MPs to convince the centre to get the mining laws amended which will help in resuming the industry, which has come to standstill since March last year.
Supreme Court in its verdict last year had quashed 88 mining leases bringing to halt the entire industry, affecting around two lakh people dependent on it.
GMPF President Puti Gaonkar told reporters at Ponda that the mining dependents would protest outside all the public functions where all the three MPs including Union AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik would be participating.
“Our demand is clear. We want all the three MPs to resign in support of our cause as they have failed to bring relief to the industry,” Gaonkar said.
The mining dependents have also planned to block the National Highway connecting Goa to Karnataka at Keri in North Goa on January 21 pressing for the demand of resumption of mining activity.
When contacted, Tendulkar said that the protests outside his house were unwarranted. “I did not knew that the mining dependents are coming to meet me. I am in Delhi attending the Parliament Session. If they had to inform me I would have kept one of the representative of mine to speak to them at my home,” he said.
The RS MP who is also head of BJP in Goa said that they will be seeking appointment with party’s National President Amit Shah to take up the issue with the centre.
“We are working on all possible solutions for resumption of mining industry. we are hopeful that the crisis would be resolved soon,” he added.
