More cops at beaches ahead of peak season

Panaji: While the tourism department’s plan to upgrade its tourist protection unit to provide better beach security to visitors will take some time, the Goa police have agreed to deploy more personnel on beach duty during the tourism season.
“We will shore up the police force in internal areas as well as at beaches to ensure that the season is not disrupted,” said senior police officer Bosco George at Thursday’s meeting of the Goa Tourism Board (GTB).
The tourism department has proposed to increase the strength of personnel to around 360. Currently, 46 cops are posted at North Goa beaches, but none along the South Goa coast.
The GTB also discussed and decided on several issues, from tweaking the composition of empowered committees to sanctioning contractual staff for the board’s independent functioning.
Tourism minister Rohan Khaunte, who is the GTB’s co-chairperson, said it was decided that the vice-chairperson would be a representative of the tourism industry, and that a nominee for the post has been sought.
A decision taken at the last board meeting concerning the director of tourism serving as the board’s CEO, was ratified, Khaunte said. A board member said that although tourism stakeholders wanted a non-government official to take up the role, the government felt otherwise.
Meanwhile, the board has approved the organisation of the Goa International Travel Mart in March, Khaunte said. He also mentioned that the CM has directed that the mini convention centres at Patto and Farmagudi be expedited as three G20 summit-linked events are scheduled to be held in Goa next year. “Both the projects will be completed by March 31, 2023,” he said.
The tourism minister further said that the department has been sanctioned Rs 41.8 crore under a Union tourism ministry scheme for setting up amenities within the vicinity of the Bom Jesus Basilica at Old Goa and at other protected sites.