Team Herald
PONDA: The truck and machine owners’ associations of Goa have urged the government to either extend the One-Time Settlement (OTS) scheme, which will lapse on March 31, or launch another scheme under which they can clear their loans.
The appeal was made by the North Goa Truck Owners Association (NGTOA), South Goa Progressive Truck Owners Association (SGPTOA) and All Goa Machine Owners Association (AGMOA) on Wednesday.
It may be recalled that, following a poor response from mining loan borrowers, the State government recently decided not to extend the OTS scheme, which has already been extended twice.
NGTOA president Suresh Desai stated that even though mining had restarted and some truck and machine owners had availed the OTS, many were unable to obtain the benefit of the scheme due to their poor financial condition after the mining ban in 2012, even though the government had extended the scheme twice.
AGMOA president Sandeep Parab said that the machine and truck owners wanted to avail the scheme, and hence, they were seeking an extension. He stated that they had obtained loans against their gold, and that the government should consider their request taking into consideration their plight and earlier contribution to the mining sector.
He also asked the government to request the banks not to freeze the truck and machine owners’ assets.
Desai, Parab and SGPTOA president Satyawan Gaonkar also gave the government three options: extend the scheme; take over the loans from the banks and prepare a new scheme under which the truck owners would clear the loans periodically; or direct the banks to restructure the loan amount by deducting up to 35 percent subsidy on the total loan settlement amount provided under the scheme, following which the balance amount would be cleared by the truck/machine owners.
