Goa: Order for crackdown on illegal activities in tourism sector gives powers to police, says Minister

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The order issued recently by the Goa government to crack down on illegal activities in the tourism sector has empowered the police department to take stringent action against the violators, including their arrest, a state minister said.

Talking to reporters here, Goa Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte on Thursday said the illegal activities listed in the order earlier only attracted fines, but the police have now been given powers under section 188 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to arrest those found flouting rules.

The Goa government issued the order signed by state Director of Tourism Nikhil Desai on Monday.

The department has prohibited 10 activities, including operation of all boating/water sports activities from areas other than those permitted and conducted within demarcated zones, domestic tourists cooking by the roadside and creating nuisance, driving vehicles on beaches, touting or selling of cruise boat tickets and any other tickets of tourist activities at places other than authorised ticketing counters and offices.

The activities related to selling of items/goods from unauthorised handcarts and unauthorised hawkers would be banned in tourist places, the order stated.

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The minister said that in the past, all these illegal activities attracted only fine.

"Moreover, if the violator was not ready to pay a fine, the police could not punish him further. But now, the powers are vested with the police under section 188 of CrPC to imprison him," Khaunte said.

"This order is a major step towards eradicating the wrongdoings in the tourism sector and providing good experience for the travellers visiting the state," he added.

According to the minister, the recently-drafted Jetty Policy is also a step forward to regularise the working at tourism jetties, which are currently witnessing a lot of illegal activities like unauthorised guiding or touting.

On the opposition from some quarters to the proposed Jetty Policy, the minister said some elements were misleading people about it.

"Wrong impression is created that we want to encourage coal transport in the state through this policy and that it would affect the traditional fishermen," he said.

The state tourism department had invited suggestions and objections to the Jetty Police. "But it was noticed that the majority of suggestions or objections were cut-and-paste jobs done from one document into another," he said.

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