CM Parrikar intervenes to solve villagers, mining firm tussle

Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar has intervened to solve the continuing stalemate between the villagers and the mining firms, which has resulted in 45 people being lodged in jail since last twelve days.
Goa police have arrested 45 villagers from Sonshi, 40 kms from here in Sattari taluka, who were protesting against the pollution caused by trucks carrying iron ore from the mining site in their village.
The locals are also demanding that their trucks should be used to transport the ore.
All the villagers are still lodged in Colvale Sub Jail as they failed to furnish Rs 10,000 surety that each of them needs to pay as part of the bail condition.

In the absence of parents, their children held protest outside local police station yesterday and day before yesterday for release of their parents.
Parrikar today chaired high level meeting which included officials from State Mines and Geology Department, State Public Works Department and mining lease holders who are operating in Sonshi village.

"Parrikar felt that though appropriate measures to minimise pollution caused due to transportation of ore are in place, the mining firms should work further to reduce it," an official release giving details of the meeting said.
He said that the people residing in nearby areas should not be affectedbyminingactivities.

"The transportation of ore has to be done in such a manner that it does not create nuisance to the people residing in the locality," the chief minister told the meeting.