PANJIM: After the much anticipated meeting of tourist taxi operators with Chief Minister PramodSawant on Monday, Sawant refused to remove Goa Miles app counter from the Manohar International Airport, Mopa. However, he accepted five out of their demands. (see box)
Speaking to reporters, the Chief Minister said, “The taxi operators from Pernem had come to meet me. They had put six demands, and out of the six demands five have been accepted. The sixth demand is that Goa Miles should be stopped. This was not accepted. Government will not agree to it. Goa Miles was started because of a policy decision. It is giving a good service.”
“We have not invested anything but the government is getting Goods and Services Tax (GST) from it. I told them to withdraw the strike because out of six demands five have been accepted,” Sawant said.
Pernem MLA Pravin Arlekar said, “Out of the six demands, the Chief Minister agreed to five demands. The sixth demand applies to all Goa. The Chief Minister said it will take time to address the sixth demand. The Chief Minister agreed to have a counter of the taxi operators of Pernem.”
“The Chief Minister also said that the parking fee which was increased from Rs 80 to Rs 200 will be reversed to Rs 80. He also agreed to issue green cards to those who have been affected due to the Mopa Airport for using the link road connecting the national highway to the airport. The first counter at the Mopa airport will be of the taxi operators from Pernem, while the Goa Miles counter will be shifted aside,” he said.
Braving the heavy showers, the taxi operators from Pernem have been agitating for the last five days pressing for their demands. They have garnered support from other taxi operators across the state.
However, the protesting taxi operators at Pernem said that they will not withdraw their strike unless they minutes of the meeting held with their representatives and the Chief Minister in Mantralayaat Porvorim are handed over to them.
