http://oheraldo.in/node/8856
Stone cutting units to seek police protection VALPOI, JAN 20 — Owners of the controversial Stone Cutting Units (SCU) at Saleli-Sattari have decided to request the Bicholim Deputy Collector for police protection to their costly machinery. This was decided at a recent meeting, where the SCU owners also chalked out plans to counter the conditional order of the Bicholim Sub-Divisional Magistrate. "All activities at the SCUs were stopped by villagers on December 27, 2005 and because of the tension in the area, all our workers have left and out SCUs have been left deserted. As a result, there have been a number of thefts of machinery and spare parts at our SCUs," an owner told Herald. The SCU owners will also ask the Bicholim SDM to allow them resume stone cutting operations on grounds that 70 per cent of the workforce comprises residents of Saleli, who are dependent on these activities for direct or indirect employment. Expressing unhappiness over heavy losses they have had to suffer due to stoppage of their SCUs, the owners said they would find it difficult to pay taxes to the government. Meanwhile, all SCU owners in Saleli met the Director of Mines and Industry on Monday and submitted details regarding their SCUs. The 13 SCUs from Bodanwada-Saleli to have been served notices by the Bicholim SDM are M/s Foures Metal Industries, M/s Shani Metal Industries, M/s Balaji Stone Crushers, M/s Elot Mix plant, M/s Madhav Rameshwar Industries, M/s Laxmi Metal Industries, M/s Sauparika Metal Industries, M/s Rehamania Metal Industries, M/s Kane Metal Industries, M/s Parwati Enterprises, M/s Rudreshwar Metal Industries, M/s Sai Metal Industries and M/s Rane Metal Industries. The SDMs conditional order for the removal of public nuisance, under Section 133 (1)(b) CrPC, has directed owners to stop operations of all SCUs until they submit details of precautionary measures adopted by them to suppress dust pollution. They have also been asked to provide a fresh environment impact assessment plan containing short and long term measures to be adopted by them, duly approved by the Goa State Pollution Control Board. The SCU owners have been asked to appear before the SDM's court in Bicholim on January 23 at 9.30 am and if they fail to reply to the show cause notice, then SCU owners will be liable for penalty prescribed under Section 188 IPC. -- Cheers, Gabe Menezes. London, England
