PANAJI
In a bid to avoid embarrassment for the State according to Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, the government has invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act in all transport services in the State.
An order dated April 7 from the Department of Home (General) said the government in exercise of the powers conferred by sub section (1) of Section 3 of ESMA, “being satisfied that in the public interest it is necessary so to do, hereby prohibits strike in any form in all transport services for the carriage of passengers or goods by land or water in the state of Goa with immediate effect.”
Speaking to media on the sidelines of the BJP’s state executive meeting, Parsekar said the move was necessary as it would lead to embarrassment for the tourist State.
“Goa is a tourist State that requires taxis and other transport vehicles. It would be a major embarrassment if tourists are left stranded with no means of moving around,” he said adding that the strike, even if for a day, would lead to severe implications.
Despite the move however, taxi owners have decided to continue with their day-long strike from 7 am to 6 pm on Monday. “We were not served with the notice and only saw it from a Whatsapp message. Besides, we are not government servants to invoke ESMA on us. We will definitely continue with the strike,” said North Goa Tourist Taxi Owners Association general secretary Vinayak Nanoskar.
He also questioned the Chief Minister’s motives to please the tourists but not the taxi owners themselves. “We have been asking for our demand for three years now but there has been no solution. And at the end of the day, will the tourists vote for them or is it us Goans?” he asked.
The association has been demanding the removal of rent a cabs over the state as eating into their business. Monday’s strike will involve over 3,000 of the associations members joining in and a total of 15,000 taxis including passenger rickshaws staying off the roads including at the airport and railway stations.
