-- Samir Umarye BICHOLIM MARCH 23: The Bicholim taluka kruti samiti (BTKS) today urged the people from Bicholim to be ready for total bandh of the city in the near future in protest
against the mining trucks plying through the city. Today the meeting of the samiti was held at the Shivaji maharaj maidan Bicholim where about 100 people were present. The Bicholim MLA, Rajesh Patnekar; BMC Chairman, Satish Gaonkar; anti mining activist, Ramesh Gawas and others were present on the occasion. It was announced that the samiti would resort to Bicholim bandh somewhere in the future and that the dates are not yet decided due to the exams of the students. 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. Today speaking on the occasion the MLA all the people to support the agitation. "It is the public who should join hands together and only then will the government would step back and will be forced to follow the public" Patnekar told "we are going forward in two direction one is that through law suit and other through public agitation" He expressed confidence that the mining plying through the area would be stopped by all means. "We are planning for Bicholim bandh as the government officers are not considering the appeals of the public, we would inform about it to the general public three days in advance and we wish that all should support us." Anti mining activist, Ramesh Gawas speaking on the occasion told several facts about the grave problem of mining which is haunting Bicholim and the state. "About 126 mining lease are in Bicholim and if they come into force than all the water bodies would be destroyed" Gawas told "mining lobby rule the politics and even if people elect the politicians the mine owners select them." Several speakers including the BMC Chairman, Satish Gaonkar; councillor, Adv Manohar Shirodkar; Shashikant Naik Halarnkar, Bandekar and others spoke on the occasion.
