Warn of retaliation by levying counter fee on Goan vehicles
TEAM HERALD
KARWAR: Residents of Majali-Karwar blocked the NH 17 highway for about two hours on Saturday to
protest against Goa’s decision to levy an entry tax on non-Goan vehicles from April.
The residents warned that they would be forced to retaliate by petitioning the Karnataka government to
levy a double entry fee on vehicles coming from Goa.
Members of Saibaba Taxi Union along with Jai Karnataka Association members staged the road-
blockade agitation at Majali near the sales-tax gate on Saturday morning.
Later in a memorandum submitted to the Karwar Deputy Commissioner, the protestors requested the
district administration to convey their sentiments and demands to the Goa government. They also
requested the Karnataka government to impose a double entry fee on vehicles coming from Goa, if the
Goa government did not withdraw the entry tax.
Karnataka Fisheries Minister Anand Asnotikar, who met the agitators during their protest, assured to
speak to Goa’s Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to consider the matter sympathetically.
Promising to contact Goa’s transport minister and the chief secretary in the matter, Asnotikar was
confident that the issue would be resolved since BJP is the ruling party in Goa and Karnataka.
“Goa is dependent on Karnataka for their daily requirements like milk and vegetables. If we revolt, then
Goa will be badly affected,” he added.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Member Satish Sail, who also visited the agitators, made a
similar pledge to interact with Parrikar on the issue.
If they (Goa) cannot cancel their policy, we would request Parrikar to give a concession to vehicles
registered in North Kanara district because the people of this area have close ties with Goa.
