By IANS,
Panaji: Even as the stir against the allegedly fraudulent implementation of high security number plates (HSNP) gathers steam in Goa, unknown people threw acid on the state transport minister’s official car Sunday damaging the number plate.
Transport Minister Sudin Dhavalikar was not in his car when the incident occurred.
“A complaint was filed by the transport minister’s secretary Sarvesh Talaulikar. The car is Mr Dhavalikar’s official vehicle numbered GA-01-G-4664 and was parked in the garage, when the incident was discovered Sunday,” a police official attached to the Ponda police station told IANS.
“It appears that acid was thrown on the car and the number plate in particular as it was completely disfigured,” the official further said.
The Congress-led coalition government’s controversial allotment of contract to implement the HSNP in Goa to an Indo-German firm Shimnit Utsch Pvt. Ltd. last month triggered a string of agitations by the opposition, public transport operators and even the Youth Congress. The protestors alleged large scale corruption in the allotment of contract of fixing HSNPs to one firm throughout Goa.
The Youth Congress, in particular, has been vociferous in its protest, demanding that the contract be scrapped and rates further rationalized.
Chief Minister Digambar Kamat had made an assurance in the Goa legislative assembly that the government would rethink the implementation of the HSNP in the state. Kamat has also appointed a committee headed by state Chief Secretary Sanjiv Srivastava to study the issue.
The government had earlier planned to enforce the HSNPs on nearly 600,000 vehicles in Goa over a period of four years.