PORVORIM: Congress senior legislator and former chief minister Luizinho Faleiro laid scathing attack on the government for promoting Goa as a “sin city” of India with proliferation of casinos, drugs and prostitution.
Faleiro, who was speaking on the cut motion moved to the Demand on Tourism, said that the casinos are the necessary evil that the government has promoted.
“The ill and rotten revenue from the casinos is coming into the State treasury. Goa is turning out to be the ‘sin city’. Gradually then becoming sex capital of India and then the drug capital of India. Tourist visit Goa for casinos, drugs and prostitution. The government has promoted Goa as ‘sin city’ of India,” Faleiro said.
The Congress MLA said that government needs to draft a tourism policy to promote locals and local business.
“Unless we give protection to our local businesses, the tourism policy has no value,” he said.
Participating in the discussion, Leader of Opposition Digamber Kamat questioned the need for spending Rs six to seven crore on public relation agency, when the State government’s Department of Information and Publicity can handle the same.
Kamat also said that government does not require spending so much to brand Goa internationally, as the coastal State already has its brand created worldwide.
“The department has spent crores of rupees on promoting Goa internationally. Despite this, the charter arrival has declined. So why to spend so much,” he said.
“Instead, promote Goa locally. Holding promotions in those States, from where we can attract maximum tourists. Goa tourism is surviving only because of domestic tourists, who are spending,” former CM added.
Faleiro further emphaised on the need for drafting Official Language Policy for the State in a bid to promote Official Language Act.
“The policy should make Official Language Act mandatory for recruitment’s not just in State government departments, but also banks, private institutions, hotels, airport, etc. Even the central government department having its agencies in Goa, should be made to implement the Act,” he mentioned.
BJP MLA Alina Saldanha, while speaking on the cut motion on Official Language, said that government needs to ensure that the official language is effectively used in the State administration.
She demanded that the draft Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) and draft Tourism policy be made available in Konkani language as well.
