PANJIM: The All Goa Private Bus Owners’ Association has demanded that government scrap the seasonal pass scheme of Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited for the daily commuters and students, claiming that the scheme has affected the bus service of the private bus operators, who have been deprived of two government schemes.
In a representation to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, the delegation led by Association’s general secretary Sudip Tamankar alleged that they are facing discrimination at the hands of the government.
“”The Transport Department has been funding the KTC in one way or the other but are discriminating with the private bus owners by not clearing the applications for the two schemes “The Goa State Public Transport Insurance Contribution Scheme, 2014” and “The Goa State Fuel Subsidy to Private Stage Carriage Operators Scheme 2014,” the delegation said.
The association had challenged the decision of the government to implement the KTC’s seasonal pass scheme before the High Court of Bombay at Goa which is when the government granted the two schemes for the private bus operators. The association members lamented that since last two years, the funds are not being released to them as a result of which they are facing huge financial crisis.
“The government has made annual provision of Rs 16 crore towards the Fuel Subsidy scheme and Rs 2 crore towards Insurance Subsidy scheme… due to shortage of funds with the government, the benefit of these schemes has not reached the bus owners for the last two years. Due to this, the bank account of the bus owners is going into NPA and the banks are starting legal proceedings against them,” Tamankar said adding that the problem has arisen owing to KTC’s seasonal pass scheme, which has attracted many commuters.
The association also raised concerns that government servants, who are granted several privileges by the government, are also using the monthly pass. “Considering these facts, the association demands scrapping of the seasonal pass scheme of the KTC with immediate effect in larger public interest and to save money of the State exchequer,” the petition states.
