Goa truckers fear blanket ban on mining, threaten suicide

Fearing a blanket ban on mining in Goa, a truckers association representing nearly 20,000 trucks engaged in mining activity in the state warned that they would be forced to commit suicide if legal mining was stopped."We are against illegal mining. But if legal mining is stopped, we truckers will be forced to commit suicide like farmers in Maharashtra," said Govind Sawant, spokesperson for the Dharbandora Truck Owners Association."We have taken loans worth lakhs of rupees to buy these trucks. If all mining is stopped, we will have to end our lives and that of our families," Sawant added.Another spokesperson for the association Prasanna Ghatge said the ban on mining in Karnataka has hit truckers in the region hard and a similar ban in Goa would be disastrous."We contribute more than Rs 900 crore to the Goa economy. We are representing to the Goa government and the leader of opposition asking them to ensure that legal mining is not stopped," Ghatge said. Goa truckers threaten suicide if mining is bannedFearing a blanket ban on mining in Goa, a truckers association representing nearly 20,000 trucks engaged in mining activity in the state warned that they would be forced to commit suicide if legal mining was stopped."We are against illegal mining. But if legal mining is stopped, we truckers will be forced to commit suicide like farmers in Maharashtra," said Govind Sawant, spokesperson for the Dharbandora Truck Owners Association."We have taken loans worth lakhs of rupees to buy these trucks. If all mining is stopped, we will have to end our lives and that of our families," Sawant added.Another spokesperson for the association Prasanna Ghatge said the ban on mining in Karnataka has hit truckers in the region hard and a similar ban in Goa would be disastrous."We contribute more than Rs 900 crore to the Goa economy. We are representing to the Goa government and the leader of opposition asking them to ensure that legal mining is not stopped," Ghatge said.