TEAM HERALD
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MARGAO: Mining truck owners under the banner of South Goa Progressive Truck Owners’ Association has knocked the doors of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar with twin demands to waive off road tax for the year 2013-14 and to unveil the promised financial package at the earliest.
A delegation of truck owners led by Association President Prakash Raut Dessai told newsmen that the truck owners called on Chief Minister and demanded to waive the road tax for the year 2013-14.
“The Chief Minister has been sympathetic to our demand. He has promised to carry forward the road tax. The Chief Minister has assured to fulfill his promise of a financial package for the beleaguered truck owners,” Desai said, adding, “We impressed upon the CM about our inability to pay the road tax since the trucks have been idle for over a year now.”
Association office bearer Prasad Phaldessai said the CM has promised to meet their twin demands of a financial package and waive off the road tax. “The Chief Minister has been sympathetic to our demands and promised to soon unveil the financial package,” he added.
He replied in the negative when asked whether the truck owners have taken up the issue of recovery of the mining loot from the mine owners, saying the truck owners’ position is clear on the loot that the money should be recovered from the accused persons.
Replying to a question, Phaldessai said that out of the 26,000 trucks operating in the mining sector, around 12,000 trucks are registered with the government for the financial package. “Only those who have registered their trucks will be eligible for the financial package,” he added.
Replying to a question on the accident rate along the mining belt, he said the mine transporters have been requesting successive governments for a by-pass for smooth transportation of ore, but in vain. “We request the present government headed by Manohar Parrikar to take up the work on the by-pass by making budgetary provision,” he added.
Meanwhile, the office bearers of all Goa Machine Owners have appealed to the machine owners to register themselves with the government by Feb 28 for eligibility of a financial package.
