TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
PONDA: Toll booths along the borders of the State were meant to generate revenue to the State, but the Mollem toll booth has been accused of corruption by charging discounted rates to outstation trucks without any receipts.
According to information, the toll booth at Mollem has about 32 workers working in three shifts. While outstation vehicles exceeding six wheels are charged Rs 1000 to enter the State, a sting operation conducted and aired on local TV news channels alleged that attendants at the collection booth were illegally accepting Rs 500 and allowing them to proceed without issuing them a receipt.
“I paid Rs 500 and there was no receipt issued to me,” 0 a 12-wheeler truck driver to a team of journalists at the site.
Similarly, six-wheeled vehicles were being charged Rs 300, instead of the stipulated fee of Rs 500.
The sting team then sought to verify the registration numbers of the trucks entering through the Mollem entry tax collection booth after paying half the amount. The team then found that there were no records of nine trucks at Mollem entry tax collection booth.
Though there are four cameras at the booth, only two are functional and incidentally, one of the two non-functional cameras is located to capture attendants charging the fees.
When contacted, PWD and Transport Minister Sudin Dhavlikar rubbished the claims made by the sting operation.
“It is impossible. What has been said is totally incorrect. If at all some trucks are not issued entry receipts, then strict action would be taken. I request the truck drivers to contact me if they are not being issued entry challan,” Dhavlikar told Herald.
