the goan I network
MARGAO
Benaulim witnessed an uproar on Monday as agitated local tourist taxi operators got the stalls run by migrants to shut shop in protest against the entry of a migrant from Karnataka in the tourist taxi business.
Taking strong exception to the Karnataka native’s foray into the tourist taxi business, the taxi operators went about asking the migrant vendors to shut down their stalls, saying that the entry of a migrant into the tourist business threatens to disturb the livelihood of the local youth dependent on the tourism taxi business.
Leader of the Tourist taxi operators Roque Fernandes said if the migrants do not stop venturing into the tourist taxi business, the tourist taxi operators will ensure that they will stop the migrants from carrying out the business of massage, fish selling and gambling activities in the village. “Tourist taxi business is the only business left with the local residents of Benaulim. If the migrants have set their eyes on this business which is run by the local youth, the time has come to teach the migrants a lesson”, he said.
Roque claimed that the migrant started his tourist taxi at a hotel after the general manager of the starred resort gave the NOC for the applicant, reportedly based on a telephonic call from a Panch member. “When we contacted the resort general manager, he expressed his regret for issuing the NOC, saying he had issued the NOC out of respect for the Panch member”, Roque said, adding that the tourist taxi operators will step up the campaign against the presence of the migrants in the local business if they do not stop venturing out in the taxi business.
“We had not opposed migrants from running stalls along the beach since they did not interfere in our business”, he added.
Another taxi operator, Bernard Fernandes informed that the Benaulim tourist taxi operators will not allow the entry of migrants in the tourist taxi business. “The permit issued by the Directorate of Transport to the migrant does not give him the license to operate from Benaulim. Our contention is that the migrant should not ply his tourist taxi in Benaulim and come against the livelihood of the local youth. The migrants have been doing their business in shops and stalls and had never told us that they will venture out in the tourist taxi business”,
he added.
A delegation of the Benaulim Tourist Taxi operators led by Roque Fernandes later went to the Colva police station to register their protest. The Police Sub-Inspector on duty however, told the tourist taxi operators that the police would forward their plaint to the district Collectorate for a solution.
