Goa villagers protest illegal iron ore transportation

Panaji, May 9 (IANS) Over 300 villagers in Goa Friday blockaded the sub-divisional magistrate's office to protest indiscriminate movement of trucks carrying iron ore. They claimed more than sanctioned ore was being illegally transported, using political muscle.

The protest by people in Cavrem mining village comes a day after 34 people were arrested by Goa Police for blocking transporting of iron ore from the mining site to a river jetty.

Ravindra Velip, who led the protest, claimed there was no official from the state government's mines and geology department was present at the site to monitor the quantity of ore being taken as stipulated in the Supreme Court's recent guidelines.

"This is the beginning of the yet another mining scam. The mining companies are hiding behind the SC order which allows transportation of ore sold by e-auction, and are transporting ore in excess of it," Velip said.

He said villagers from Cavrem demanded the release of the arrested protestors and accused police of high handedness.

Velip, who has also submitted a petition to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, claimed that while two million tonnes of iron ore was e-auctioned (from various sites) in accordance with the recent apex court order, more than the sanctioned ore was being transported from the Cavrem mining site.

The site is being operated by a firm run by Dinar Tarcar, a local businessman, who was indicted in a Public Accounts Committee report for illegal mining.

Velip, in his petition to Parrikar, claimed the ore was being transported by the brother of a senior BJP leader, and alleged that police arrested 34 people, including 10 women, who were peacefully protesting the suspected theft of the ore.

The petition requests Parrikar to prevent "any transportation of the ore anywhere in the state unless all necessary monitoring and checking measures are put in place".