CM accuses centre of playing politics over Entry Fee
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 21 May 2013 18:40 IST
Chief minister Manohar Parrikar has accused the central government official for playing a pro-active political role in sending a letter to Goa government on the controversial entry fee.
Nandan Singh, deputy secretary of union ministry of road transport and highways, had sent a letter to Goa government officials, to withdraw the entry fee imposed on outside vehicles entering Goa.
“I will raise the issue with Prime Minister and Union Minister for Road Transport asking them whether the IAS officers sitting in Delhi have been trained in politics”, said Parrikar.
While stating that the concerned state government officials are yet to receive the letter, Parrikar felt that the bureaucrat sitting in Delhi had no business to send such a directive without knowing the issue.
“We have not violated any central rule or the Motor Vehicles Act but are fully within our rights to impose such entry fee under the provisions of Goa, Daman and Diu Highways Act, 1974,” he said.
Goa has amended the Goa Highways Rules 1990 in order to impose the entry fee on vehicles for using state roads and bridges, at the entry point.
He also said that the government refunds the entry fee while exiting the state border if the vehicles exclusively use only the national highway and leave Goa within four hours.
The media persons however asked him why any vehicle is charged the entry fee if it takes a halt for a night in a Goan hotel on a national highway and leaves the state after four hours.
“I don’t mind refunding the fee if they prove that they did not enter the state road but put a stay in a hotel on the national highway”, said Parrikar.
He once again dismissed the possibility of withdrawing the entry fee imposed by Goa government.
