PERNEM
Hundreds of taxi operators from Pernem and different parts of the State staged a huge ‘chakka jam’ protest outside the Pernem deputy collector’s office on Thursday, accusing the government of being indifferent to their grievances at the Manohar International Airport at Mopa.
Claiming that other taxi counters at the airport have been affecting their business, the taxi operators have demanded a free tourist taxi counter for local operators, a reduction in parking fees, scrapping of toll on Link Road and the removal of the counter for the GoaMiles app-based aggregator.
The taxi operators have refused to withdraw their protest till they get definite assurances from Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to resolve their grievances.
The taxi operators began their agitation with prayers offered to Shri Bhagwati Devi at Pernem, before proceeding to stage a protest outside the deputy collector’s office. A huge police force was present to maintain law and order.
Several leaders cutting across political parties as well as social activists and leaders of taxi associations were present at the site and pledged their support to the agitating taxi operators.
They included South Goa MP Captain Viriato Fernandes, Mandrem MLA Jit Arolkar, Pernem MLA Pravin Arlekar, Velim MLA Cruz Silva, as well as sarpanchas and panchas of various villages.
All Goa Taxi Association leader Chetan Kamat strongly criticised the State government and warned that they would continue with their protest till their demands were met.
The taxi operators also warned that if their issues were not resolved, the situation could escalate into a significant law and order problem, and they would hold the government fully responsible.
The agitating taxi operators initially insisted that the chief minister visits Pernem to resolve their grievances.
They claimed that the chief minister had made many promises in the past and added that they had been regularly travelling to Secretariat and Panaji to put forth their grievances before him. They claimed that the MLAs should, instead, bring the chief minister to Pernem, as they were in no mood to travel to Panaji every now and then.
Pernem MLA Pravin Arlekar said he has been continuously following up on grievances of taxi operators and added that a meeting would be convened by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant with a delegation of taxi operators on Friday in this regard.
Extending his support to the taxi operators, South Goa MP Viriato Fernandes assured to highlight the issue with the Centre. He said he had been elected as MP to resolve the problems facing the common man.
Describing taxi operators and motorcycle pilots as the true ambassadors of Goa, Capt. Viriato said their grievances had not been resolved by the State government.
Pernem SDPO DySP Jivba Dalvi, who headed a large police force at the site, also interacted with the agitating taxi operators in a bid to pacify them.
Late in the evening, Opposition Leader Yuri Alemao, Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas, GPCC President Amit Patkar, GPCC General Secretary Jitendra Gaonkar, and other leaders also visited the agitating taxi operators in Pernem to extend their support. They demanded that the State government should immediately address the grievances and demands of the taxi operators.
