Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji (SHP)
Panaji, Jul 4: In the year 2014, Goa state public transport insurance contribution scheme and Goa state fuel subsidy to private stage carriage operators were launched to provide financial support to the bus operators.
However, the bus operators have complained against the ineffectiveness of these schemes and stated that the schemes were not implemented since two years. Over 200 applications from these bus operators is pending since March.
Under the directive by Supreme Court, bus owners were required to buy BS-IV variants, which pushed them to apply for bank loans. The discontinuation of schemes and the indefinite pause has caused burden on these bus owners, since then they are finding it difficult to cover the additional expenses.
According to the statistics by the state transport department most of the applications have been cleared with exceptions to the lot which is pending as a result of delays in the subsidy committee's meeting. Once the meeting takes place, applications submitted are said to be cleared.
The All Goa Private Bus Owners' Association even wrote to the chief minister, Pramod Sawant, to discard the seasonal pass scheme of Kadamba Transport Corporation Ltd which rendered a blow to their businesses.