23 Sep 2022  |   07:04am IST

Jetty Policy necessary to mandate regulations, ensure transparency: Tourism Minister

“Panchayats should promote tourism activities and help the government put in place services and infrastructure for tourists, which will help generate income for the State,” Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte said.

MAPUSA: Insisting that the Jetty Policy is essential for the government to 

mandate regulations and weed out illegalities, Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte said that the objections and suggestions of the public, regarding the Draft Jetty Policy, would be taken into consideration. “There is nothing to hide in the Jetty policy, and we are open to discussing and debating on the provisions, with activists and experts, if necessary,” said Khaunte.  

He added that the policy was necessary to bring transparency in creating tourism infrastructure, like water sports facilities and passenger cruises, to offer entertaining experiences for the kind of high-end tourists the State wants to attract. Calling for people to refrain from opposing the Policy on the basis of wrong information, Khaunte said the Tourism Department had kept the policy open for the public to peruse, and that they would have a round of meetings with every stakeholder involved, including traditional fishermen and village panchayat members, before moving forward. “Panchayats should promote tourism activities and help the government put in place services and infrastructure for tourists, which will help generate income for the State,” he said.