MAPUSA
Calling for reduction of VAT on petrol and diesel to cushion the impact of rising fuel price, Goa Forward Party Working President Kiran Kandolkar on Saturday suggested that the VAT on petrol and diesel should be brought to nil.
“The government should help all Goemkars in their day to day activities and not burden them with an increase in fuel prices. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant must respect the public and their hardships and immediately bring VAT on petrol and diesel to zero,” Kandolkar said.
The Goa Forward Party Working President was speaking at the workshop for farmers organized by the Farmers Club of Nachinola.
Speaking further, Kandolkar said the chief minister must learn from the leadership of his predecessor former chief minister late Manohar Parrikar who had the courage to bring VAT on fuel products to zero.
“The price of fuel has now crossed Rs 80 and the CM is probably looking to hit a century and prove to Delhi how good he is in making money,” he said.
He further informed that the global price of oil has been falling because of low demand due to the pandemic and questioned why the government needed to raise VAT on fuel when all businesses and people in the State do not have the necessary support to carry normal activity in the challenging times.
Calling for the unity of the opposition in the State, Kandolkar said people of Goa will not tolerate the silence of the opposition on the issue.
“The opposition parties shouldn’t look to go for a hat-trick of losses after 2014, 2019. They should dust off their routine bureaucratic agenda which doesn’t respect the public sentiment for unity to save Goa,” he said, obviously referring to the Congress party.
He said he remained optimistic about Team Goa and was looking to further expand the party in the State.
“The Goa Forward Party has extended its arms for unity to defeat the BJP. Any inaction now will not save Goa in 2022,” he said.
The Goa Forward Party has been calling for the unity of the opposition, the bait which the grand old party was not biting.
