According to reliable information from the insides of the department as well as from sources linked to the department, the big fat tourism junket is moving to Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA, Japan, Korea, Australia and on and on.
The allied questions on whether we have the infrastructure to bring home these guests or transport to move them are superfluous in the wake of serious questions that need to be not just asked but answered about the utter reckless, haphazard and brazen manner in which a self -declared tourism policy of “travelling the world in as many days as you please”, is in force. The government of the day, instead of stopping it, is allowing this policy to become the unauthorized and unofficial state tourism policy where a handful of officials, the political top brass handling the department and an important retinue of travel agents and agencies are the sole beneficiaries.
Chief Minister Parrikar was almost forced into unveiling the accountability language in the assembly on Friday by announcing a pre-audit for junkets and guidelines for foreign trips from Goa. But when he said that “till now” there “was” no clear cut tourism policy and that was the reason why such unauthorized brazenness was allowed to permeate, why didn’t he tell us why he couldn’t put together a policy in the two and half years he has been in power. The immaturity of youth cannot be an excuse for blunders that you commit in your middle age and Parrikar is certainly not in the ‘youth’ period of his term as Chief Minister. By now a man is expected to settle down.
Moreover a financial audit of every decision that the government takes, that impacts tax payer’s money, doesn’t need a specific policy for a department. It is akin to saying that the government needs a policy to be transparent, honest and accountable. That non-negotiable policy, dear Chief Minister, is ingrained in the document that has put you in that chair. It’s called the Constitution of India.
As Herald has reported, the call for transparency has come even from within the department with one of its directors and the head of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa Francis Braganza, writing to the Tourism Director questioning the need to form a marketing and promotions committee which will in effect bypass the GTDC board to take all policy and financial decisions. While the Director has justified it on the grounds that the Handicrafts corporation has a similar structure and that this is needed to be done to make GTDC professional, all decisions have to be within the purview of rules of business and the law. And if new working rules, impacting a change in the way finances are approved, are taken, they need board approvals and should be a part of an overall policy. The changes in tourism have been made in the absence of either, however well-meaning the objectives may be.
If Rs 50 crores and above are spent on promotions and marketing (a ballpark figure which is likely to be more not less) annually, the corresponding number of tourists from those countries where our tourism department travelling Wilbury’s have landed must be produced. Currently the policy seems to be picking a juicy spot on the world map and land there to do a road show.
The Goa tourism department is the best place to work, if you manage to get to that team that picks and lands these assignments but since we the people pay for them, we need the oft repeated cliché- accountability.
The Tourism Minister and the lord of the Communidade of Serula, Dilip Parulekar, who once sold apples, must know that eating too much of the forbidden fruit may force him to pack his bags and head home, away from the trappings of office.
