NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Drinking on beaches, cooking on roadsides or any sort of nuisance or ruckus by tourists or locals at public places will draw heavy fines extending up to Rs 10,000.
In case of an individual the fine proposed by the government is Rs 2,000, while in case of a group, the fine proposed is Rs 10,000.
The state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday at the state Secretariat cleared the proposal for amendment to the Goa, Daman and Diu Registration of Tourist Trade Act, 1982 in the forthcoming Assembly session.
“This amendment aims at enabling and empowering the enforcement agencies to impose penalties and fines to serve as deterrents against violators who are involved in creating nuisance on the beaches,” said Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar while interacting with media persons at the state Secretariat in Porvorim.
He said that the cabinet also gave its nod to a proposal for the amendment to the Goa Registration of Tourist Trade Act 1982 so as to deter bookings in unregistered hotels by the online hospitality companies.
“The different hotel agencies including the travel agencies that are operating illegally without registering with the government will be barred from conducting business. The online agencies like OYO and others can only accept bookings for the hotels that are registered with the government,” he said. Ajgaonkar assured that both the amendments would be brought in the forthcoming session of the state Assembly.
In other major decisions, the cabinet retrospectively accepted the Traffic Sentinel scheme and also approved the Goa state solar policy 2017.
Briefing about these decisions, Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai said that there will be direct incentives to the beneficiaries of the solar policy and under the policy the beneficiaries who will be enrolled for Renewable Energy Savings Company will mandatorily have to sell the power generated from the rooftop to the connected grid during peak time.
The government has taken a decision to re-introduce the Deendayal Panchayat Raj Infrastructure Development (Golden Jubilee) Scheme. The proposal to enhance the salary or remuneration of village panchayats and Zilla Panchayat members has got the approval of the cabinet. The salaries of sarpanchas have been hiked to Rs 6,000 from the current Rs 4,000, while the salaries of the deputy sarpanchas have been hiked from Rs 3,500 to Rs 5,250. On the other hand, the salaries to panch members have been hiked from Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,500.
The salary of the president of Zilla Panchayat (ZP) has been hiked from Rs 12,000 to 18,000 while the vice-president’s salary has been hiked from Rs 11,000 to Rs 16,500. On the other hand, the salaries of the ZP members have also been hiked from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000.
Sardesai said that the cabinet also gave the approval to appoint Siemens for solutions in the power sector and passed a proposal for power stations to be set up at Ponda, Tuem and Saligao.
The cabinet also cleared the proposal for the appointment of Engineers India Limited as independent engineer firm for Mopa Airport project, the appointment of Jose Manuel Noronha as chairman of Goa Public Service Commission and appointment to the post of secretary of Goa Public Service Commission.
The cabinet also approved an amendment to a provision under Goa Commission for SC/ST Act, 2010, to allow the chairperson Prakash Velip to continue in office by another two years, till the age of 67.
Sardesai said that the Chief Minister has given financial approval of Rs 14.5 crore to complete the Margao kabrastan and help in resolving the long-pending demand of the people.
“The government will present a financial statement of Rs 1,200 crore in the Assembly, which will include mostly the revenue expenditure, salaries and pensions. Besides, provision of funds to make Goa open-defecation free will be our priority,” he said.
During the meeting, a decision was also taken to absorb around 1,185 public works department contract workers under its society thereby extending certain benefits of the government.