Sandesh Prabhudesai
7 April 2000
After going adamant initially on the issue of making inventory of the Meta Strips plant, chief minister Francisco Sardinha finally agreed for it soon after discussing the matter with the Anti Meta Strips Citizens Action Committee late evening today.
The inventory, as per the decision reached at the meeting, would be held tomorrow morning after which the factory gates would be sealed, except the main gate. The 13-day old hunger strike would end only after that, said the AMCAC leaders.
According to Sardinha, the inventory team would be led by P S Reddy, the industries director along with Vasco sub-divisional magistrate and two members each from the company and the AMCAC.
Without giving any justification for changing his stand within an hour on the issue of inventory, Sardinha said he did not find anything wrong in conducting the inventory by the industries director, who is authorised to visit any industry in the state.
The same chief minister however had initially wondered, when journalists had met him at around 6 pm, why inventory was necessary if the production and construction work would be stopped. He had also claimed that he had never agreed to making the inventory, when the AMCAC leaders had met him on Thursday evening.
As per the agreement, however, the AMCAC leaders would continue dialogue on constitution of the experts committee to probe into the pollution angle, giving equal representation to the company and agitators while appointing some experts by the government.
"We have not yet given our opinion on the experts committee. It would be discussed only after the factory gates are sealed", said Nelson Fernandes, the AMCAC secretary. They had initially totally ruled out the proposal.
Meanwhile, the government is yet to decide for how long the factory would remain closed, though the order stated "until further orders". The Meta Strips has however urged the authorities to open it within 15 days.
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