Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Nov 5: Private bus owners gheraoed a transport department official at the head office at Panaji on Wednesday, November 5 continuing to push for their demand to waive taxes for the lockdown months.

Earlier, the All Goa Bus Owners Association had threatened to go to the court if the state government failed to waive off the taxes during the lockdown months.

Sudeep Tamankar, president of All Goa Bus Owners Association said that on multiple occasions the private bus operators have visited the transport department to express their grievances, but to no result.

Confronting the deputy director of transport Prahlad Joshi, Tamankar said, "If our demands are not met with, I will sit here indefinitely and if need be, even give my life."

He referred all the dates when the association had sought help from the department apart from sharing the grievances.

Desai said that the department in the past had given subsidies to support them. "Their demand now is to exempt them of taxes. But waving those has a procedure in place which requires to be followed. We can look at granting their demand after individually accessing each operator's application showing non-use of vehicle during the lockdown months," Desai said.