PANJIM: Thousands of businesses that are dependent on transport in and out of Goa, are oscillating between hope and despair, as the Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and the PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar have taken contradictory positions on imposing a fee for Goan vehicles moving in and out of the State
Three days after the notification of the Public Works Department (PWD) imposing entry fee on Goa registered commercial vehicles sparked off a major controversy within the government, the chief minister, who admitted he was in the dark about the decision, admitted to Herald that he was now ‘indecisive”, whether to withdraw the notification or allow or go ahead with it. He has currently “kept it in abeyance” through an oral order, but the government decision, which the chief minister said he was not party to, very much holds.
On the other hand, the PWD minister spoke to Herald twice during the course of the day, stating on both occasions that the decision to impose this fee will hold. (See interview). The minister also said that the current abeyance on entry-fee would be lifted soon and he ruled out the possibility of the notification being withdrawn.
The differences between them are serious because they have taken absolutely strong contradictory positions. The CM made the first public statement on the issue in Herald (Tuesday June 2 edition) says ‘This is not the way to raise revenue.”
Speaking to Herald on Wednesday, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said the government is yet to take any decision on the withdrawal of entry fee on Goa registered vehicles. “I need to study the notification,” he said. He added, “The government will take all the stakeholders into confidence before taking any decision.”
PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar said there was no chance of withdrawing the entry fee on Goa as well as non-Goa registered vehicles, and presented two scenarios when the fee could be withdrawn. “We can withdraw it, only if mining resumes in the State bringing in revenue needed, or when the centre gives us an additional grant of Rs 60 to Rs 80 crore.”
The border check-posts on Monday had seen chaos and were blocked over imposition of entry fee on Goa registered
vehicles, forcing Mr Parsekar to intervene and keep the matter in abeyance. Herald had revealed that the controversial decision was taken by former chief minister Manohar Parrikar.
“Some concession can also be granted to vehicles crossing the borders every day,” he said.
The minister said he would soon meet the chief minister on the matter and then discuss the issue with the stakeholders, which again is a shameful admission that they were not spoken to before the decision was taken.
