shot-button
Ganesh Chaturthi Ganesh Chaturthi
Home > News > India News > Article > Goa Order for crackdown on illegal activities in tourism sector gives powers to police says Minister

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

Updated on: 03 November,2022 03:40 PM IST  |  Panaji
PTI |

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

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

Representational Pic

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.

Also Read: Mumbai Police advisory for property owners: Follow these 5 steps to register

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.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!

Register for FREE
to continue reading !

This is not a paywall.
However, your registration helps us understand your preferences better and enables us to provide insightful and credible journalism for all our readers.

Mid-Day Web Stories

Mid-Day Web Stories

This website uses cookie or similar technologies, to enhance your browsing experience and provide personalised recommendations. By continuing to use our website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. OK