the goan I network
PANAJI
The Government of Goa has told the Bombay High Court at Goa that it will resume installing digital meters in taxis in the State from December 4 and apologised for delays which it said was on account of finalising a necessary network and software partner.
Hearing a contempt petition filed by the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa the HC has now posted the matter for hearing on December 5.
The government has now finalised BSNL to provide software and network services, the court was told.
TTAG approached the HC, after despite its own deadline to begin installation of taxi meters passing, the government refused to install the meters as it had promised the court.
Back in October, the HC found that the Director of Transport Rajan Satardekar was ‘prima facie’ in contempt of the court.
Hearing a contempt filed by TTAG, the High Court bench of Justices M S Sonak and Nutan Sardesai directed the State Government to submit an affidavit detailing why the Court should not proceed against the state government for incurring contempt.
“Prima facie, we are satisfied that the Respondent (State Government) is in contempt of this Court. There are clear directions in our order dated 05.07.2019, which orders were in fact made on the basis of the statement made on behalf of the State Government in the matter of implementation of Automated Tracking Device with integrated emergency system and fare meter in passenger taxis. The project was to be implemented from 01.08.2019 on a regular basis,” the High Court said
in October.
TTAG had filed a writ petition before the High Court in 2016 urging the court to direct the State government to make meters mandatory for all taxicabs in the state.
Disposing the petition in July this year, the High Court took on record the minutes of the meeting of the State Transport Authority which took a decision to implement digital meters for taxis in Goa.
The State Transport Authority had taken a decision to operate the scheme of digital meters with effect from August 1 on a pilot project basis for 15 days until August 15, and thereafter, subject to successful running as a pilot project, would be implemented within six months across the board in the State.
However, since the government failed to adhere to its own deadline it had sworn before the court, the TTAG approached the court with a contempt petition.
When the matter came up for hearing, the State government filed an application seeking extension of time. However, as the court noted, this application was filed on 14.08.2019, i.e. way beyond the date by which the project was to be implemented.
“The application seeks extension of time by two months, which period, would expire by 1st October 2019. Till today, there does not appear to be any progress in the matter of implementation of the scheme,” the High Court had noted.
The project was to be implemented from 01.08.2019 on a regular basis
TTAG approached HC after despite its own deadline for taxi meters passing, govt refused to install meters as it had promised the court.
HC found that Director of Transport Rajan Satardekar was ‘prima facie’ in contempt of court
HC has now posted the matter for hearing on December 5
