TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Private bus operators have demanded a financial package from State government on the lines of assistance provided to mining truck owners, citing rising diesel prices and loan liabilities as the reasons.
In a memorandum submitted to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday, All Goa Private Bus Operators Association (AGPBOA) demanded a financial package to tide over the difficult times arising out of heavy loan burden and increasing diesel prices.
AGPBOA general secretary Sudip Tamhankar told reporters that the private bus owners, who have been serving the public since the Integration of Goa, have availed loans to purchase buses and have suffered under constantly rising diesel prices, but still government never promised or granted any financial assistance or package to the bus owners.
“The truck owners, barge owners, machinery operators, who serve private interest of mine owners, have a far better and higher standard of living as compared to private bus owners,” he said.
Tamhankar said that ‘given this huge disparity and difference in living standards, if the people dependent on mining deserve special financial assistance from the government, than the private bus owners, who have a much lower standard of living and huge loan burdens, certainly deserves more support’.
During the recent AGPBOA function, BJP MLA Vishnu Wagh had urged the government to provide financial assistance to private bus operators, whose business have been hit due to mining ban and implementation of pass system by KTC. Further, AGPBOA has demanded government intervention in the illegal recruitment in transport department. Tamhankar said that transport department is in process of filling 41 posts of new motor vehicle inspectors, while only 14 posts were advertised in 2010.
A complaint in this regard has been filed with the vigilance department requesting to file FIR against Chief Minister, Transport Minister Ramakrishna Dhavalikar and Transport Director Arun Desai under sections of IPC and corruption act.
