Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: As the taxi operators intensified their protest, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant slammed them terming their protest as “politically motivated”.
Despite Sawant announcing to reduce the parking fees at Mopa airport from Rs 200 to RS 80, the taxi operators continued their strike demanding one to one meet with the Chief minister.
Addressing a press conference, Sawant said that the protest is politically motivated as the government has already fulfilled all the demands of the taxi operators.
He also said that tourism stakeholders as well as ruling and opposition MLAs have agreed to app-based taxi services for the betterment of the sector.
“The government has solved the issues of taxi operators from time to time. This agitation at present is politically motivated. The taxi operators should not fall to prey,” said Sawant.
He further said that his government is committed to fulfilling genuine demands related to the tourism industry.
“Some is completely backing these taxi operators to speak against me. I have solved all their problems,” he added.
On the other hand, the taxi drivers claimed that GMR had reduced the parking fees from Rs 200 to Rs 80 only after they threatened to protest. Initially, the fees had been increased from Rs 80 to Rs 200.
The taxi drivers emphasized that this reduction is a temporary solution and called on Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to provide assurance and address the ongoing issue permanently.
Taxi operator said, “Although we have gathered here, there is no response from the government. Our demand is that the chief minister should come to Pernem now and meet us at the Guest House, Pernem.
“We don’t want to go to the Secretariat again and take his ‘tablets’ (assurances), as we did during the Assembly session,” he added.
The taxi operators have demanded that those amongst them who are from Pernem be given a counter free of cost at the Mopa airport as they have sacrificed their land for the facility which is operational since January 2023.
The protestors asked the airport management to stop illegality in transport business currently being practised at the airport.
“Operation of rent-a-cab service from the parking area should be stopped immediately,” they said.
