Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The All Goa Private Bus Owners Association (AGPBOA) has voiced strong opposition to the State government’s newly notified ‘Mhaji Bus’ Scheme 2025, calling it untrustworthy and inadequate.
AGPBOA General Secretary Sudip Tamankar criticised the revised scheme as a “jumla,” citing the government’s failure to clear past subsidy payments. “We have no faith in this scheme. The government still owes us subsidies, and until those are paid, we cannot accept any new proposal,” he stated.
Tamankar highlighted that under the earlier pilot version of the scheme, operators on the Margao–Canacona route were paid ₹34 per kilometre, compared to the ₹3 per kilometre subsidy now offered in the revised plan. “We are demanding ₹34 per kilometre, the same as what was paid during the pilot,” he added.
He also raised concerns over unreimbursed insurance premiums of ₹20,000 dating back to 2017, and a pending ₹2.5 lakh subsidy for the replacement of old buses. “Instead of clearing these dues, the government is announcing a new ₹10 lakh subsidy for bus replacement. This is misleading,” Tamankar said.
As per the notification issued by the government, the revamped scheme offers a ₹3/km subsidy to eligible private bus operators, along with 50% reimbursement of insurance premiums, capped at ₹30,000 annually. Operators replacing buses over 15 years old with new vehicles of at least 27-seater capacity are eligible for financial assistance of ₹10 lakh. Operators will retain full fare revenues and are not required to share collections with the Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL).
However, operators must install and maintain a functional Vehicle Location Tracking Device (VLTD) and an Automatic Ticketing Machine (ATM) in each bus.
AGPBOA has urged the government to first settle all pending dues before expecting participation in the updated scheme.
