Panaji: The state-run Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) was recently slapped with a penalty of Rs 25,000 by the Goa State Pollution Control Board following complaints of waste being openly burnt at Patto. However, officials at the corporation claimed that the area in which the violation took place does not come under their jurisdiction.“We have refused to pay the fine because we are not responsible for the fire, nor did the violation take place in our property. We have made an appeal to the pollution control board that the fire was not precisely on the KTC bus stand, but on a stretch of land near the bus stand. This stretch of land belongs to the transport department,” KTCL assistant engineer, G P Naik said.The location of this fire was reported at the interstate bus parking area. This is the end point of the Panaji bus stand, near the EDC building.Sources from KTCL’s Panaji depot informed that burning of fire is a rampantly occurring violation, despite their attempts to discourage people from doing so.“We have often physically gone and put out fires using our water tanker. At times, we have even called the fire brigade. Despite requesting shopkeepers and people at the interstate bus operators on a number of occasions to not start a fire, they don’t cooperate,” said an official from the Panaji depot.The KTCL water tanker at the Panaji depot contains about 12,000 litres of water used otherwise to wash buses.He further added that the pollution control board officers recently inspected of the area following their appeal. “We are yet to hear from them.” he said.

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