Goa: Locals halt trucks at Bicholim, Sakhali

By: Pritam Chodankar
BICHOLIM: Upset with the frequent movement of trucks laden with e-auctioned ore on the first day of the lockdown, locals stopped transportation of the ore at Bicholim and Sakhali on Friday.
Former Sakhali sarpanch Pravin Blaggon criticised the government for “allowing transportation of iron ore”. “Seems like this lockdown is only for the poor people, but meant to facilitate free movement of the mining trucks,” Blaggon said.
Former deputy chairperson of the Bicholim municipality Bhagwan Harmalkar questioned how the trucks were permitted to ply during the lockdown.
Congress member Manoj Naik and Anand Narvekar of the Bhandari Samaj brought to the notice of Bicholim PI Sanjay Dalvi the muddy condition of entire road caused by the speeding trucks.
Shiv Sena’s state general secretary Milind Gawas said the government was taking the people of the state for granted by clandestinely allowing tranportation of e-auctioned ore even during the lockdown period.
On July 10, Sakhali villagers had blocked ore-laden trucks as the sludge had spilled on the roads and made them slippery.