PERNEM: Pernem taximen has given ultimatum till 1 pm of Wednesday to the State government to notify taxi stand at Manohar International Airport (MIA) at Mopa.
Continuing their agitation demanding a notified taxi stand at Manohar International Airport, the taximen on Tuesday gave ultimatum to the government to give them a written assurance or notify a stand at MIA by 1 pm on Wednesday.
The decision was taken after holding a joint meeting with Deputy collector Pernem Deepak Vaigankar, representative of GMR, Mopa Police Inspector Ninad Deulkar, Assistant Director of Transport and a delegation of taximen. The meeting was called by the SDO Pernem after the taxi operators threatened to block the road approaching the airport.
Taximen informed that during the meeting, it was told that it will take at least five days to complete the process and notify the stand as well discussed the terms of agreement.
They were informed that for six months, the deposit will be Rs 5 lakh, while rent will be Rs 50,000 for the stand. However, since the delegation did not receive any written assurance from the authorities, they decide to give an ultimatum failing which the road approaching the airport will be blocked after 1 pm.
“We have been told that it will take at least five days to complete the process and notify the stand, but we have not received any letter in hand. The agitation will continue until we get a written assurance or a notified stand. We are giving an ultimatum to the government till Wednesday 1 pm, failing which we will block the road. We also appeal to all Goa taxi unions to extend their support by keeping their taxis off the road on Wednesday,” taxi association member Bhaskar Narulkar said.
“This government is playing games with us by giving oral assurances and new deadlines and same was repeated today. We have given the government time till Wednesday 1 pm, failing which we will block the road and only government will be responsible for the consequences as we are fighting for our rightful demand,” Uday Mahale President of Mopa Greenfield Taxi Association said.
Meanwhile, the taximen from Pernem continued their agitation on the second day in protest of the government not issuing yellow-black taxi stand and blue taxi stand at Manohar International Airport at Mopa.
The taximen showed their presence in great numbers on the day two of the agitation at Nagzar.
Taximen on Monday had held the protest at Nagzar and had threatened to block road on Tuesday. Taxi operators had participated under Together for Pernem, Airport Taxi Association.
Former Zilla Panchayat members Dipak Kalangutkar, Pradip Patekar and members of All Goa Taxi Association extended their support to the protest by being present.
