Parrikar blasts Central officer for his letter on toll fee

Taking umbrage at a letter by an officer of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, questioning the 'rationale' of his government in imposition of entree fee on the non-Goan vehicles, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar today said he would raise the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
"I will raise this issue with the Prime Minister and Cabinet Secretary asking them since when junior-level officers are allowed to write such letters to state governments on their own", Parrikar told reporters here.
The imposition of "toll fee" on non-Goan vehicles has not gone down well with transporters with the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) resorting to indefinite strike demanding rollback of the fee since May 12.

After meeting the representatives of AIMTC in New Delhi, Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Nandan Singh last week wrote to the Goa government questioning its 'rationale' in imposing the toll fee on non-state vehicles.
"The state government would not respond to such a letter which is written by a down-the-line officer", Parrikar said.
Coming down heavily on Singh, the chief minister said he was doubtful about the "propriety" of the officer.

"I want to ask him whether he is contesting the Lok Sabha polls by indulging in such tactics?", he questioned.
Parrikar said that ideally if the officer was approached by any association against the toll fee, he should have first asked the comments of state government.

"Who is the officer of deputy secretary level to dictate terms to state government?", Parrikar said.
He reiterated the state government's resolve to not withdraw the toll fee.
To shore up the state's revenues, the Parrikar government imposed a toll fee of Rs 1,000 on trucks while it is lesser for other vehicles.