With goods and passenger transporters beginning their indefinite strike boycotting Goa operations from last night, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar today said there will be no shortage of essential commodities in the state.
All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) members stopped plying trucks and buses to Goa since last midnight protesting the entry fee levied by the government on non-state vehicles.
"Despite the strike call given by AIMTC, the number of vehicles entering the state remained same today. There is no impact on the supplies", he said.
Parrikar said some 50 trucks arrive in the state daily and they continue providing commodities irrespective of the strike.
Adopting a tough posture, Parrikar said "those transporters who do not want to ply to Goa have a freedom to do so. (However) if they start blocking Goa vehicles across the border, our government will not tolerate it".
Parrikar said that initially the levy was labelled as entry tax which has now been named as toll fee.
"It is a fee levied on the vehicles for using the infrastructure like roads created by the government of Goa," he clarified.
The entry fee of Rs 1,000 is levied on the heavy goods vehicles entering the state from April 15.
Parrikar said that "pass system" would be introduced for vehicles regularly entering the state.
"The striking transporters were told about Goa government's viewpoint on the entire issue of toll fee but they are adamant", he said.
Refusing to rollback the toll fee, Parrikar said "Who are these people from Bangalore or Kolhapur to dictate terms to Goa government".
