Goa Diary

Bonanza for traders in GoaLess than two months after the first Bharatiya Janata Party-supported government took over in Goa, its biggest c...

Bonanza for traders in Goa
Less than two months after the first Bharatiya Janata Party-supported government took over in Goa, its biggest constituency, the trading community, is all set to receive a financial bonanza. The state government is offering a very generous amnesty to all businessmen in the state who have been accused of evading sales tax and luxury tax. Cases against all traders charged with evading taxes would be quashed if they offer to pay between 25 and 30 per cent of the amount assessed against them by the Sales Tax department.

As is common knowledge, small restaurant owners and shopkeepers routinely avoid presenting bills to customers, though sales tax is charged to their purchases. The money due to the government goes into the pockets of unscrupulous traders. For the record, at least, the Fransisco Sardinha government has decided to take whatever it can from the traders rather than get embroiled in endless litigation.

Or is there more to it than meets the eye?

Mereappeasement
The politics of appeasement continues in Goa. The state government will soon permit passengers to travel free on ferries throughout Goa. In all, there are 22 ferry routes which service the state8217;s population of more than 15 lakh. Since the government is too broke to fix dilapidated and leaking ferryboats, it has decided not to charge people for using them.

While the state government spends more than Rs 9 crore to maintain the required infrastructure, it earns barely Rs 1 crore from the service. Since it cannot increase the fares to due to opposition from users, the government has decided to do away with fares altogether. Hopefully, this will save the state8217;s river navigation department from public fury every time the ferry service breaks down!

Conspiracy of silence
Last week, the death of a well-known figure in Goa8217;s politics was buried quietly in the inside pages of local newspapers. Gurudatta Kakodkar, a minor poet, was married to former chief minister and prominentmineowner Shashikala Kakodkar till their divorce last year. Of course, not anyone who relied on Goa8217;s newspapers for news would have known that the two were married till recently.

Tailpiece
Has the Konkan Railway Corporation legalised touting? It appears so, if one approaches its official booking agents for tickets. While a ticket from Goa to Mumbai costs just Rs 251 at the KRC counter at Margao, the corporation8217;s booking agents in Panaji charge a full Rs 25 more. Their excuse is that they have to send a peon to bring the tickets all the way from Margao or Ponda railway stations! And no, they don8217;t issue receipts for the 8220;service charge8221;. Is the KRC8217;s vigilance department listening?

8212; Shiv Kumar