Goa bus owners to boycott Modi rally

The state government's decision on the abolition of VAT on petrol last year has been harsh on bus owners

Goa's biggest bus owners association has decided to boycott BJP's prime ministerial hopeful Narendra Modi's rally here Jan 12 and has said their buses will not used for ferrying people.

All Goa Bus Owners Association general secretary Sudip Tamankar told IANS Monday that the decision was taken at an executive body meeting of the association, which he claims controls 1,000 out of Goa's public carriers registered with the state transport department.

"The BJP's decisions have been harsh on us. The abolition of VAT on petrol last year by the Goa government means commuters use their two wheelers instead of buses. This decision is taken in protest of the decision," Tamankar said.

However, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said nearly 1.5 lakh people would attend Modi's meeting.

Tamankar also complained that transport department officials were harassing the bus owners and that constant appeals by the association to the government to probe corruption in the department had fallen on deaf ears.