The Hindu : Karnataka News : Goa begins crackdown on trucks

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 28, 2011
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka

Goa begins crackdown on trucks

Special Correspondent

Ore-laden trucks were being run without valid documents, says Arun Desai

23 trucks overloaded with iron ore detained
Permit to be withdrawn after three offences

PANAJI: After dilly-dallying for long, Goa's Transport Department on Saturday responded to complaints with a crackdown on the mining trucks that violated laws with impunity.

Twenty-three trucks were detained and over 200 cases booked across the State amidst vehement protests by truck operators.

People in the mining areas had been protesting against air pollution and accidents caused by overloaded iron ore-laden trucks.

Most of the trucks had been not been issued permits and licence from the Mining Department, said Arun Desai, Director of Transport, on Saturday.

Many of these trucks did not have the additional plank, he said.

All the detained trucks had been kept in police security.

The action was welcomed by people in places such as Sanvordem in south Goa and Bicholim-Sattarim in north Goa where the local MLAs had been consistently protesting against the menace in the Legislative Assembly.

On February 22, the department had issued notices to mining firms asking them to abide by the High Court directives on overloading of the trucks failing which it would confiscate them.

The court in its directives had said that if any truck was found violating any of the measures three times in a year, the permit of the truck would be suspended.

As per the regulations, for transporting mineral ore in the State, the court had ordered that the trucks should carry ore only to the permitted capacity of 10.5 tonnes. Rules were violated causing hardship to people and schoolchildren in different mining areas.

Mr. Desai said from Monday, the officials would visit the respective mining sites from where the ore was loaded.

Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Manohar Parrikar had been vehement in his criticism on the irregularities in mining activities including mining transportation

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka