Special Correspondent

Panaji, Apr 17: The strike that had paralysed life in the port town of Vasco was called off on Saturday after high level meeting chaired by Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat conceded to majority of the demands of the protestors.

Emerging from two hour meeting, the Kharewada Affected People (KAP) said that they have decided to keep their strike in abeyance as government has assured to fulfill their demands.

Vasco port town was completely paralysed since Friday by the locals who were opposing the expansion of Mormugao Port Trust (MPT). The expansion plan had resulted in the demolition of 66 houses, which
around 247 houses were on the verge of being razed down.

The meeting was also attended by Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar, other ministers, MPT and Naval authorities, KAP activists.

State Revenue Minister Joseph Philip D’Souza said that the state will save majority of the houses by removing the contentious Khariwado area from MPT jurisdiction. He said that all the stakeholders will move to the High Court seeking its order to save the houses as demolition was done as per the court order.

KAP leader Fr Bismark Dias said that the agitators are `keeping their agitation in abeyance with good faith in the assurances given by the state government.’ “We will erupt in protest again, if state government falls back on its promises,” he added.

Dias said that the state government along with MPT will move to the High Court seeking to regularize the houses at Kharewado jetty.

The meeting also resolved that a delegation will approach centre to denotify the huge tract of land acquired by MPT years back, which are largely fishing villages. “We want that the MPT jurisdiction should
not exceed into the fishing villages,” Dias said.

MPT has also agreed to withdraw Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) deployed at Kharewado.

The strike, which had began on Friday morning, had affected the cargo movement from the state including export of Iron ore.

MPT Chairman P Mara Pandiyan said that the loses to the tune of Rs 45 crores were faced due to the strike since last two days.

Iron ore exporters had also claimed that their loses were worth 1.20 lakh USD as transshipers were stranded in the port jurisdiction. The agitators had blocked the entire MPT chanel by anchoring their fishing trawlers and canoes.