NT NETWORK

MARGAO

From next academic year, the government is considering running Bal Rath or KTC buses for the benefit of students of schools in mining areas who were earlier provided transport facilities by mining companies, South Goa collector Agnelo Fernandes said.

Fernandes was speaking after a meeting attended by Power Minister Nilesh Cabral, Sanvordem sarpanch Sandeep Pawaskar, deputy director of mines and others on Monday.

Fernandes also said that the Sanvordem panchayat will be paid through the BDO’s office to pay the private bus owners for the transport services provided to students from the mining areas. Earlier, mine owners were providing transport services to the students but it was discontinued after stoppage of mining in Goa.

“We held a meeting with the stakeholders. As the chairman of the district mineral foundation, I put up a proposal to pay the Sanvordem panchayat which paid for the service for a year. We will either provide Bal Rath bus service or ask KTC to ply buses to transport the students from the next academic year,’’ Fernandes said after the meeting.

Cabral said that he along with the sarpanchas attended the meeting to take up the students’ issue besides the issue of water shortage faced by people of mining belt areas. He said, “Since the last one year, either the MLA or the panchayat was bearing the bus fees for ferrying students to schools which are 15-odd kms away.

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had asked us to continue with the service and had assured that he will see to it that the panchayat is paid through the district mineral foundation funds, which is meant for the benefit of people affected by mining. But till date nothing positive has happened. Exams are just a month away and if we discontinue the service now, the students will be badly affected. The district collector has promised that he would pay the panchayat to pay the private bus owners’ dues.”

Sanguem MLA Prasad Gaonkar said that more school buses are required adding even the committee formed by Chief Minister Parrikar to look into the matter could not help.