TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Goans can breathe a sigh of relief as the threat to the ‘xit kodi nustem’ receded after trawler owners decided to venture back into sea from Saturday, ceasing their strike, which had been called to protest hike in diesel prices.
The fishing community was removed from the bulk diesel purchasers group by the Union Petroleum ministry Friday putting them in the retail category; and reducing their hike to 50 paise instead of the earlier Rs 11.
Menino Afonso, chairman of the Mandovi Fishermen Cooperative Society said the trawler operators had decided to call off their strike, following assurances from the union petroleum minister.
“From Saturday midnight, our trawlers will venture into the sea and we will resume fishing activities,” said Afonso.
Earlier in the day, (before the strike was withdrawn and on the sidelines of a city function) Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told media that the Government would exempt value added tax (VAT) on diesel purchased by trawlers from open market.
“We will issue the circular now exempting VAT. The strike by trawler owners is part of national agitation. They should withdraw the agitation now but it is for them (to decide). We are doing whatever is possible,” he told reporters.
