PERNEM
Accusing the State government of imposing Section 144 to suppress their voices, agitating taxi operators in Pernem have vowed to continue their protest till a black-yellow taxi stand is allotted to them at the Manohar International Airport.
The taxi operators who had been protesting at Nagzar since Monday shifted the venue of their protest to Pernem, after the government imposed Section 144 around the airport area and surrounding villages, including Nagzar.
The agitating taxi operators said they had submitted a proposal for a yellow-black taxi counter on January 23, but they were yet to get a counter till date and when they tried to agitate at Nagzar, the government imposed Section 144 to suppress their legitimate demand.
“It looks as if the government is trying to postpone and delay sanctioning our demand for a taxi stand, for reasons best known to them,” alleged a taxi operator.
“The Manohar International Airport has offered employment opportunities to hundreds of taxi operators, but how many of them are ‘Pednekars’? Those who operate their taxis there are supporters of politicians and are not ‘Pednekars’, who are being denied their rightful demand.”
Goa Forward Party leader and former ZP member Deepak Kalangutkar pledged his support to the agitating taxi operators.
“It is time for all political parties to come together on this issue and ensure justice to the legitimate demands of the Pednekars, who offered their land for this project and are now only asking for employment and business for their livelihoods,” said Kalangutkar.
Adv Jitendra Gaonkar said there were multiple meetings during the four months between the local taxi operators and Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and local MLA Pravin Arlekar but no conclusion has been arrived as yet.
“There has been no notification of any sort for the taxi stand at the Manohar International Airport. There are private taxi counters operating at the airport, but why are local taxi operators denied their legitimate taxi stand,” asked Gaonkar.
Adv Gaonkar said the chief minister had assured to set up a blue taxi stand instead of a yellow-black taxi stand, but even that promise was not kept.
“If the officers are not aware about how many permits are required, how many taxis would get business and when the taxi stand would be made available, then they should not come for discussions with the agitators,” he added.
Prasad Shahpurkar also sought to know why not a single demand had been fulfilled by the government.
“The only demand that the agitators have is to notify legitimate taxi stand at the airport and the process can take only 10 days if the government is serious about it,” said Shahapurkar.
