Team Herald
MAPUSA: Tension prevailed at Baga on Friday as the Goa Tourism and Development Corporation (GTDC) suddenly started collecting parking fees from locals and others here much to their annoyance.
Irate locals stood their ground and refused to pay. News spread like wildfire and police had to rush in reinforcements to bring the volatile situation under control.
Locals informed that the Calangute Panchayat had instructed a few local youth to charge a nominal parking fee and maintain the parking area near the end of the Baga creek road.
Things were going on smoothly till Thursday, when all of a sudden, the local youth were directed to stop collecting fees and the GTDC took over and started collecting parking fees from locals, fish vendors, fishermen, shack owners and taxi operators, which led to altercations.
The GTDC told the locals that the beach cleaning agency was now officially entrusted by the government to collect pay parking fees from this area.
This led to heated arguments between the GTDC employees and locals with the latter refusing to pay the former.
Calangute MLA Michael Lobo rushed to the spot and had a word with the stakeholders and locals and stated that this particular road belongs to the PWD and the GTDC had no locus standi to collect parking fees.
“This is panchayat jurisdiction and the GTDC has no right to collect parking fees. In the name of development, they cannot tax the people. I will talk to the Tourism Minister and Chief Minister and sort out the issue,” Lobo said.
