-- Samir Umarye
HANDLE WITH CARE :) :) BY HERALD CORRESPONDENT BICHOLIM FEB 2: The Bicholim police today arrested about 8 members of the Nagrik Kruti samiti in connection with restaining traffic and assault, even as they have claimed that all the members of the samiti are ready for the arrest in connection with the general interest of the people and to stop the mining traffic plying through the city. It may be recalled that since last four years, there has been constant agitations in the taluka in protest against the mining transportation. Besides trucks from Sirsaim, trucks proceeding from Maharastra, which enter the State, use the roads in Bicholim. The agitations have been sparked off mostly due to accidents, pollution, overloading of mining trucks and police authorities’ incompetence in keeping a check over mining. The agitations only led the traffic to stop for some time, which would resume after about two to three days. In view of this the Bicholim MLA had told that the problem should be solved once for all and a meeting to this effect was called last week. About 100 people attended the meeting and expressed their displeasure over the mining traffic in the city. Last week after submitting a memorandum to the deputy collector and giving five days ultimatum the Nagrik Kruti Samiti and the people from Bicholim had staged a successful rasta roko on the Bicholim bridge. According to the information provided by the Bicholim police today, offence was registered against 13 persons in connection with the mining issue after a complaint registered by one Wasim Khatal Makandar from Sanquelim. Today eight persons of the Nagrik kruti samiti including Bhagwan Harmalkar, Gokuldas Harmalkar, Naresh Kadkade, Rajan Kadkade, Dhananjay Malgaonkar, Anand Narvekar, Riyaz Beg and Bhalchandra Narvekar were arrested. They were charged under section 143, 323, 504, 506, 341, 427 rw 149 IPC. They were later released on bail. Speaking to the media persons the members of the samiti told that the deputy collector did not stand by his word and the assurance that no one would be arrested in this matter. "It was an agitation of the masses and all the people from Bicholim were involved in it so the police and the government should not target any one individule and if any further arrests are made the entire samiti should be arrested" the samiti members told. "We would give similar memorandum to the police tomorrow and would like to get arrested in groups." they told "the deputy collector has called a meeting to discuss on the issue and all the people from Bicholim would assemble near the office to show our real strength against mining. The agitation is in the general interest of the people from Bicholim all should support it."
