Mining dependants stage protest march

NT NETWORK

SANKHALI

More than 500 mining and allied industries dependants, on Monday, hold a massive protest march from Amona to Sankhali, and submitted a memorandum to the Sankhali MLA Dr Pramod Sawant at Ravindra Bhavan gate demanding restarting of the mining industry without any further delay.

There is fear among the people that allied mining industries may shutdown in the event of further delay in the resumption of mining.

The protest march was led by convener Sakharam Gawas, member Nilkanth Gawas and others on behalf of families of allied mining industries dependants.

The morcha started from pig iron/met coke plant complex located at Amona and the protestors walked a distance of almost 10 kilometers  by holding placards in their hands peacefully upto Ravindra Bhavan, Sankhali and later handed over a memorandum to Dr Sawant on demanding restarting of the mining activities at the earliest.

The memorandum, which is addressed to the chief minister and local MLA reads that mining allied industries such as sponge iron plants and other allied industries like pig iron plants, foundries, cement plants, power plants that provide direct or indirect job opportunities to more than 3,000 people if shutdown will adversely affect the livelihood of these people besides losing revenue to the state exchequer.

The memorandum adds that pig iron/met coke plant which is situated at Amona-Navelim in around 20 lakh square meters of land for the last 25 years will suffer adversely if mining industry is not restarted at the earliest.

Meanwhile, Dr Sawant said that government is trying hard to restart the mining.

Speaking further, he said that during the Assembly session Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar will give details on mining resumption.

He said that the Chief Minister will also meet the Prime Minister soon in order to restart mining activity in the state, and assured that the mining dependants not to get panicky over the situation.