Goa's mining belt tense as iron-ore transportation resumes

Police machinery was moved to Usgao village today after group of truckers allegedly tried to stop the transportation of iron-ore from Vendanta Sesa mining site in north Goa.
"We have provided protection to the trucks carrying ore in Usgao village. We are acting as per High Court directives," Superintendent of Police (North), Umesh Gaonkar, said.
He said the protection would continue to scuttle any attempt to stop the transport.
Sesa, which began transporting ore from its site to the jetty, to be exported to China, faced agitation from the truckers and transport has been at halt since December 4 after All Goa Truck Owners Association resorted to agitation over fares.

Association president Nilkant Gawas said the trucks should get more than Rs 8 per ton per kilometre.
The company, however, had refused to offer the rate, claiming the market situation was grim due to plummeting international ore prices.

Gawas said the company can wait till market prices stabilise if they cannot afford the rates.
Sesa had given deadline of December 15 for resumption of transport and had warned workers to resume work else they will have to face action under its 'no work, no pay' policy.
The trucks that began transporting ores this morning were tried to be stopped from plying after some miscreants pelted them with stones.

Gawas, however, claimed that none of their members are involved in the incident and that they are agitating peacefully.
Vedanta Sesa was the first company to announce resumption of mining in the state after Supreme Court lifted the three-year-old ban on iron ore mining.
"We had planned one million metric tons of export for December. The first shipment carrying 88,000 MT was already sent to buyers in China. But now the second shipment which was planned to leave the port on December 8, was postponed to December 12," Vice President (Communications), Sesa Iron Ore, Aniruddha Joshi said today.
He said company has signed an agreement with 600 truck owners to transport the ore from the site.