PANJIM: The infighting between the Cabinet colleagues has come to the fore with Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho on Wednesday expressing his resentment at Ports Minister Michael Lobo for interfering in the issue of fitment of digital meters for taxis in Goa.
Without taking Lobo’s name, Godinho said, “I don’t understand why he (Lobo) is trying to confuse their (taxi operators) mind. There are other problems and collective responsibility. Please manage waste properly in Goa. People will be happy if waste is managed properly and then perhaps he can interfere in other places. Interfering everywhere is not a healthy functioning.”
Lobo on Tuesday had requested the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant to provide digital meters to taxi operators free of cost and to resolve all their pending issues.
However, Godinho reiterated that the government is providing digital meters free of cost by crediting 50 per cent of cost of meter in the taxi operators bank account within three to five days after fitting meters and remaining 50 per cent will be reimbursed at the end of one-year when they will come for payment of data charges.
According to Godinho, Rs 8579 is the cost of digital meter and Rs 2655 are the data charges along with GST.
Stating that his Cabinet colleague compelled him to reveal government’s stand, Godinho said that one of the reasons to credit 50 per cent of the meter cost at the end of the year was to ensure that the taxi operators take responsibility of the device.
“We are giving free meters but free with responsibility so that atleast for whole year when they (taxi operators) know that they are paying for the meter they will look after it”, he said.
Some persons (Lobo) are giving false dreams to taxi operators, the Transport Minister said claiming that taxi operators had told him that they were misguided by some politicians and kept their issues in limbo for almost a year.
