PANJIM: The All Goa Private Bus Owners Association (AGPBOA) has alleged that the government is fooling the people of Goa by making false statements in the State Budget.
Speaking to reporters, AGPBOA General Secretary Sudin Tamhankar said that the Budget was a big disappointment to them. He alleged that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant made a false statement in the Budget regarding provision of Rs 18 crore for fuel subsidy when the government was yet to release their subsidy for two financial years 2018-19 and 2019-20.
“Fuel subsidy is pending for two years and making a provision of Rs 18 crore for fuel subsidy in the Budget is a complete lie and an attempt to fool the people of Goa,” said Tamhankar.
The government is also releasing funds to State-run Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) and continuing concession pass system is another attempt to finish the private bus operators.
“If the Chief Minister is really concerned about Swayampurna Goa then he should immediately release the pending fuel subsidy to private bus operators,” demanded Tamhankar.
Regarding scrapping of buses which are more than 15 years old, Tamhankar said that a delegation of private bus operators will soon visit Nagpur to study the running of buses on CNG (compressed natural gas) and see whether the same can be replicated in Goa.
According to Tamhankar, Association members recently met Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in Delhi at the instance of Minister for AYUSH Shripad Naik.
During discussion, Gadkari gave them an option to convert all diesel-run buses into CNG in Goa and requested them to visit Nagpur to see the working of buses on CNG.
The AGPBOA general secretary further disclosed that Gadkari has given them another option of introducing electric buses in Goa by reducing GST and other taxes.
