I am writing to you, Tourism Director, as a concerned Goan who believes in the government and its employees and hence has faith that this email will be addressed and the necessary action will be taken.
A few days back during the Gandhi Jayanti/Eid holiday weekend which was very busy in Goa, my friends had arrived from different destinations in India and wanted to have a good time on the beaches in Goa. We visited Baga for the water sports activities and decided to go on the rides available. I personally was very excited as I thought that it would be different as compared to my past experiences which were not that great. The main reason being that, it was not organised and the people would just overcharge you.
Upon arriving to Baga at about 11 am, I saw a big queue near the small shop/hut / or whatever you want to call it. I enquired about the rates and saw some prices scribbled on the top. This really surprised me as according to my thinking this was supposed to be better organized. I stood in the queue for awhile and then realized that it was pointless as the guys would just push through. So left with no choice I did the same. Upon reaching the guys at the counter, they told me about the price of the tickets and gave me some tokens. Now these rides are not cheap and range from Rs 300 to Rs 800. I questioned them and was informed that the prices were steep as they were running it illegally which was shocking. I was not sure whether I should pay for it or not. My friends told me that this was just a ploy of getting more money so we decided to go ahead with it.
We were given a receipt for the para-sailing ride but for the others they just gave us some tokens that we gave to the guys at the boats. On the para-sailing trip which lasted for about 1 minute and according to all the tourist was pathetic, I was offered for a water start for which they demanded an additional Rs 300 which I declined and in the end after everyone was done with their turns and we were about to head back, they offered us to swim in the water with an additional charge of Rs 200.
This experience has left me shell-shocked and disappointed with the fact that nothing has changed, just the name of the government and the person sitting on the chair. Everything else is the same. Also I have noticed that all the tables and beach-beds that were in hiding on the beaches have emerged again and we are back to square one as we have been in the past. So where is all the restrictions that were supposed to be in place, where is the cleanliness that we were supposed to have, where is the Goa that we were supposed to become.
Being better than what you were in the past is called evolution, being the best in what you were in the past is called achieving perfection, which is what I feel we need to achieve to make our state a better place.
This is my humble request to you, to take into account my thoughts and views and work towards a far better future.
Just a few questions, Mr Director
u As a working member of the society, I have paid my taxes as required for the salary I earn. How do you tax the sports activities on the beaches when you don’t have an account of the cash flow?
u How do you organize an activity when you don’t have the rates mentioned on the beaches, nor do you have a description of the rides or the time they would last?
u How do you keep the beaches clean when you don’t have any regulation of the number of boats, jet skies or rides in the water?
u How do you keep the people safe when the crowds go crazy on the beaches?
u Finally, what have you done differently from your
predecessors?
