Belgaum-Kolhapur truckers not to enter Goa, call for nationwide boycott

GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 17 April 2013 21:06 IST

Truckers from Belgaum and Maharashtra have decided to stop entering Goa from tomorrow with all the essential commodities Goa needs, in protest of imposition of entry tax.

The All India Motor Transport Congress has in fact appealed to all its members nationwide to Boycott Goa till the entry tax is scrapped.

The truckers from Belgaum and Maharashtra believed to have had a huge meeting in Belgaum today to decide on the issue, after they met chief minister Manohar Parrikar yesterday.

Though they had agreed to wait for eight days as Goa government agreed to offer them concessional rates, sources say the final decision in this regard was to be taken today at their general body meeting.

“Our chief minister had offered them concessional rate on entry tax with a monthly pass system”, said Mangirish Pai Raikar, president of Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, while talking to goanews.com.

Transporters of essential commodities like vegetables, fruits, milk, grains, chicken, eggs etc as well as truckers were up in arms against Goa government’s decision to impose one-time entry tax from 15 April.

While Belgaum truckers had already stopped coming to Goa since yesterday, a delegation of all the organisations had met PWD minister Sudin Dhawalikar and the chief minister.

After briefing its members about what conspired at the meeting with Goa ministers, the AIMTC president Bal Malkit Singh sent a letter to all its office bearers all over India to ‘Boycott Goa’ till the entry tax is scrapped.

“The vehicles from Karnataka and Maharashtra make daily entry to Goa, travel only 20 - 25 kms and come back after offloading of the goods. By paying Rs 1000 per trip every day, the transporters will be made to cough up approximately Rs 30,000 per month”, stated Singh in his letter.

According to him, the talks with the Goa government had failed since their demand to roll back the Entry Tax was not accepted.

The truckers now want to extend the protest at national level by also boycotting other states.

“We may have to initiate similar boycott of other states in case this menace of Entry Tax is not curbed by the Central and State Governments”, stated Singh in the letter.

He has requested all its members to support their units in Belgaum and Kolhapur by not sending vehicles to Goa.

“All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) protests against the levy of such illegal tax and supports the call given by Kolhapur District Lorry Owners Operators Association (KDLOA), Ponda Goods Transport Association (PGTA), and Belgaum Lorry Owners Association to stop sending their vehicles to the State of GOA”, stated Singh in his letter.

“I am worried about the industry now since this may result in the commitments made by our industrialists may come to a halt”, said Goa Chamber president Raikar, while reacting to goanews.com.

However, he said he is prepared to try and mediate with the protesters through Belgaum and Kolhapur Chambers “if Goa government requests.”


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