Belgaum supply resumes, Kolhapur deadlock continues
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 16 May 2013 19:37 IST
Fruits and vegetables as well as other perishable goods started flowing from Belgaum to Goa since last night though the Kolhapur deadlock continued even on the sixth day.
Besides the regular supply of 32 vehicles of the Horticulture Corporation, the private supply of fruits and vegetables resumed since last night.
The Kolhapur-based transporters are thus upset and Ramappa, the Hubli-based vice president of All India Motor Transport Congress, rushed to Belgaum today to discuss the issue with the Belgaum-based transporters.
“I really don’t know why Belgaum transporters have resumed the transport”, said Subhash Jadhav, president of Kolhapur Lorry Operators’ Association, while talking to goanews.com.
The AIMTC has started its Boycott Goa since Sunday midnight, in protest of the Toll Tax imposed by Goa government at entry point on all the vehicles from outside Goa.
In reality, the government has presently exempted vehicles from neighbouring areas from tax collection till it introduces a monthly pass system.
“We want it to be scrapped. The concept of entry tax itself is not acceptable to us”, reiterated Bal Malkit Singh, the AIMTC president.
Arun Prabhu, one of the vegetable wholesalers, told goanews.com that the Belgaum traders and transporters have decided to continue supply till Saturday, by which day they are expecting Goa government to resolve the issue.
Jadhav however said they have not received any intimation from Goa government about any meeting.
Chief minister Manohar Parrikar has suddenly gone adamant on the issue, stating the government would not talk to the transporters on the issue.
Though the government is claiming that supply of food grains is uninterrupted, Sargam Falari, Goa’s wholesale dealer admitted that not a single vehicle has come from Kolhapur in last four days.
In addition, the transporters are also stopping all the goods vehicles coming via Kolhapur, from other parts of Maharashtra, he said.
Jadhav also confirmed that they are now allowing any goods vehicle, going to Goa, to pass through Kolhapur.
However, Falari told goanews.com that grocery like oil, ata and other food grains from Pune and Mumbai as well as rice from Karnataka have started coming in.
The AIMTC leaders however are claiming that not a single goods vehicle is entering Goa.
