Khaunte moots tourist security force to tackle beach illegalities

Porvorim: Making a strong case for a dedicated tourist security force, tourism minister Rohan Khaunte on Wednesday said that existing authorities are unable to crack down on illegalities that occur along the beach belt, particularly touts, drinking on the beach and sound violations.
Agreeing with the opposition that illegal activities along the tourist belt sullies Goa’s image, Khaunte said that despite the chief minister issuing directions to authorities, particularly Goa Police, enforcement has been found lacking.
“The charge that the opposition made is true that the illegalities are not being tackled. The entire Calangute to Anjuna belt is filled with illegalities. Touts, hawkers and beggars, we need to stop this. The government gives directions, but the enforcement needs to happen. It happens for a day or two, but after that it is back to the old situation,” said Khaunte.
“When authorities try to crack down on loud music from shacks late at night, calls come asking for them to be let go. This has to stop. And it will stop this year as we rework the shack policy,” said Khaunte.
While announcing that shack licences will be extended for an additional one year, the minister also announced that the tourism department aims to create model shacks with plug-and-play facilities on four beach stretches, two in the north and two in the south. Khaunte also informed the House that work on the Basilica of Bom Jesus at Old Goa will be taken up under the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) scheme.
He pointed out that existing laws prevent drinking in public spaces, but that has not deterred tourists from drinking on beaches and breaking bottles.
“This is why we are thinking of getting our own security force to put things in order. We need to ask ourselves, do we want quality tourists or quantity? You are not allowed to drink in public, so how do bottles reach the beach? The act is already there. This is why we need a security force,” said Khaunte.
He said that Goa can no longer depend only on UK and Russian charter tourists and that the state needs to explore new markets. At the same time, he said, tourism circuits need to be created in the state so that discerning high-spending tourists visit the state, particularly the hinterland.
Touching upon the issue of app-based aggregators and unruly taxi operators, Khaunte said that instead of bringing in Ola and Uber, local taxi operators should set up their own app with similar services.
“We have reduced paperwork for registration of hotels and at the same time increased fines. Register and run your business properly. This year we are proposing an integrated beach management policy that will look at everything from beach cleaning, safety, illumination and security,” he said.