----- Original Message ----- From: "Tariq Siddiqui" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2003 7:12 PM Subject: Re: [Goanet]Airport Tax
> > From what I have observed, the airport tax is included in your ticket. > > However, since our brethren are always looking to make a fast buck, I was asked at > Bombay airport to fork over Rs 500 in departure taxes. When I refused, saying that > it was already paid, they lowered the "tax" to Rs 200. Smelling a rat, along with > the fact that they were not asking any of the other passengers for the same tax, I > stood my ground and asked them to show me a government issued letter authorizing the > tax. They then relented and acted as nice people doing me a favor and let me fly. > > My wife and aunt, who also left from Bombay, were not as lucky. They were threatened > of being disbarred from flying and were stripped of $25 a piece. Other relatives of > mine who left from New Delhi reported no such "tax" requests. > > Tariq Response: from my own experience many years ago Bombay Airport and the people who run the various departments are all corrupt. You will find Custom officers owning huge bungalows in the most exclusive areas in Bombay. I was kept overnight at the Airport with two small children as I did not have a visa. When a visa was produced the next day by our branch office in Bombay the immigration officer just discarded it and stamped our passports and asked us to get it done in Goa. In Goa on Christmas eve I had to fork our some dosh to get it processed ! May be we need many, many more foreigners to settle in Goa especially from the West (how they circumvent the directives ?) to sort our the corruption business. Cheers Gabe Menezes. ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
