------------------------------------------------------- CONVENTION OF THE GOAN DIASPORA FROM GOA INTO THE WORLD Lisbon, Portugal June 15-17, 2007 Details at: http://www.goacom.org/casa-de-goa/noticias.html -------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Do GOACAN a favour, circulate this email to your family members, relatives, neighbours and friends. Help others be BETTER INFORMED ------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GOACAN welcomes the Supreme Court order on smart card RC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GOACAN welcomes the Supreme Court order dated 17th May 2007 wherein it has issued notice and allowed the application for impleading the Government of Goa in a Public Interest Litigation filed against the public scam involving the smart "optical strip" based Registration Certificate (RC) for Motor Vehicles. In April 2007 GOACAN had expressed its concern about the tender issued by the Govt. of Goa for smart "optical strip" based Registration Certificate (RC) for Motor Vehicles which would result in large amounts of money being accumulated by private companies at the cost of the Goan consumer over the next 15 years. GOACAN had called for the immediate cancellation of this Tender process by writing to the various Government officials and organising a mass contact program in different parts of Goa alongwith the various village based Consumer Forums. It may be noted that Senior Counsel, Mr Ranjit Kumar appearing for the Petitioner, submitted that the Supreme Court had on 19th February 2007 already admitted the PIL- "Arvind Kumar Tiwary Vs Union of India & Ors" against the Central Government and some of the State Governments like Delhi, U.P, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Kerala who are forcing consumers to buy "optical strip" based RC at twice the price prescribed for it under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989. Subsequent to the order of the Supreme Court dated 19th Feb 2007, the Goa Government issued a tender in March 2007 for "optical card" based RC and the consumers of Goa too would similarly be burdened with the liability of paying an amount which is twice the legal ceiling and hence the necessity for impleading Goa as a respondent so that the entire tender process is made subject to the orders of the SC in this matter. It is argued that the entire amount collected from the consumers for optical card based RC goes into the coffers of the private companies who are peddling this technology without the State Government getting any revenues out of this project. The States which already have 'optical strip' based RC like Delhi, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, it was argued by the senior counsel, are forcing consumers to pay anywhere between Rs 375-400/- whereas Rule 81 of the Motor Vehicles Act 1989 prescribes a ceiling of Rs 200/-, thereby leading to a scam of crores of rupees. It may be recollected that the Delhi Legislative Assembly, in its report last March, severely criticized the optical strip RC project in Delhi. The Gujarat High Court at Ahemadabad too is hearing a PIL on this very issue. Meanwhile GOACAN has written to the Election Commission of India requesting action on the violation of model code of conduct by the Goa Government in the matter of smart card based registration certificate (RC) project in the State of Goa by issuing show-cause notices and ordering the State Government of Goa not to proceed with the tender till the elections are over and a new Government is duly sworn in. ------------------------------------------------------------ GOA CIVIC AND CONSUMER ACTION NETWORK ----------------------------------------------------------- promoting civic and consumer rights in Goa ----------------------------------------------------------- GOACAN Post Box 187 Margao, Goa 403 601 GOACAN Post Box 78 Mapusa, Goa 403 507 mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---------------------------------------------------------- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/attachments/20070531/48317949/attachment.htm ------------------------------------------------------- Goanet recommends, and is proud to be associated with, 'Domnic's Goa' - A nostalgic romp through a bygone era. This book is the perfect gift for any Goan, or anyone wanting to understand Goa. Distributed locally by Broadway, near Caculo Island, Panjim & internationally by OtherIndiaBookStore.Com. For trade enquiries contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------------------------------------
