The mining workers, under the banner of Goa Mining Labour Welfare Union (AITUC) and Sesa Goa Employees' Union will hold a rally in Panaji on April 2, to protest against lay-off threat and anti-labour practices by Goa's mining companies.
The mass rally will mark the mining workers’ abiding opposition to all forms of unfair labour practices by the employers, said Christopher Fonseca, General Secretary of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Goa on Sunday.
The total loan liability of the mining dependents including truck operators, barge operators, machine operators in the aftermath of 18-month-old ongoing mining ban is around Rs.1800 crores which includes the loans of public sector banks as well as other financial institutions, said Mr. Fonseca. He also pointed out that provision of Rs.150 crores to make mining-stakeholders free of their bank debts by the State government in its recent State budget was inadequate.
“Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has admitted that the loans of mining stake- holders from public sector banks alone are about Rs.680 crores. This is half truth. He said in his 2014-15 State Budget that he requires another Rs.240 crores for one-time settlement and that it requires 2 to 3 years,” said Mr. Fonseca accusing the government of failing to do enough for the mining ban-affected people.
In the meanwhile, public meetings will be organized in all the mining areas to highlight the ongoing mining crisis and the abiding threat to livelihoods of the people in Goa, he told The Hindu .
