PORVORIM
The RTO is reported to have penalised fish and vegetable vendors for selling their goods in vehicles along internal roads of Porvorim, prompting angry reactions from a livid Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte.
Penha de Franca Sarpanch Swapnil Chodankar, Zilla Panchayat member Gupesh Naik along with a group of fish and vegetable vendors went to the RTO office in Panaji and demanded a revocation of the show-cause notice issued to fish and vegetable vendors.
They also requested RTO officials to convene a joint meeting with the NGO who had filed the complaint.
Addressing a news conference in Porvorim, Khaunte said the Penha de Franca panchayat had given No Objection Certificates to unemployed locals to sell goods.
“These locals, especially youth, are unable to get jobs due to the Covid pandemic and hence, they had approached the panchayat for help,” said Khaunte.
“Acting on a complaint by an NGO, officials of RTO issued a show-cause notice to fish and vegetable vendors as to why fines should not be levied on them to the tune of Rs 5,000-Rs 6000. The RTO cannot do anything on self-employed issues which are not commercial and secondly which are not related to vehicles.”
The Porvorim MLA accused the RTO of issuing show-cause notices to by applying rash driving section of the RTO Act.
“The government is unable to support unemployed Goan youth and hence the panchayat is permitting them to conduct business activities within panchayat areas. It is the duty of an MLA to stand by his people and render them necessary assistance.”
“If a legal course is required, we will seek it. The RTO and NGO are answerable to what they have illegally done. In the entire State, how did the RTO find only interior roads of Porvorim to penalise fish and vegetable vendors,” asked Khaunte.
