The goose that was laying the golden egg is been killed systematically over the years. By appointing consultants things don’t change. We have lost our core USP, which none in the administration even has a clue. We lost our core values. Instead of re positioning ourselves we became arrogant and slack. Instead of treating our visitors with respect we fleeced them at every given opportunity. Why should a tourist pay more? Till today no one is capable of giving a correct and just reply. Why would a visitor come to Goa knowing he’s getting ripped off at every nook n corner?
Taxi’s charge Euro or Dollar equivalent rates. How does this make business sense? There are no metered taxi rates even though they are displayed on their dash boards so as to ‘pass’ the RTO test.
Tourist location and streets need traffic cops in the evening post 6.00 pm and that’s the time they disappear. The lonely PCR is doing it’s duty parked in some convenient corner away from public gaze.
The beach shacks are an experience for the wrong reasons. Though they are tastefully decorated their charm stops there. A look at the menu and your wallet begins to tremble. You wonder if these shacks are an extension of the 5 star properties present in Goa. They entice you with exotic food pictures but the taste is for you to decide. They claim serving authentic Goan food, the only authenticity is the name of the dish you have ordered. Why should food in beach shacks be priced so exorbitant. The common answer, it’s seasonal business and the fees paid to the department are very high.
Goa 365 days of sunshine and stench welcomes an international visitor. Thank God these visitors are ferried in air conditioned taxis and buses or else if they had to pass by the 4-lane highway towards Verna, crossing the ZACL oil tanking facility it would have been an “about turn return home” situation. But does the government bother? Not at all. These slums are precious vote banks. They are “untouchable” and I guess they will remain that way. These slums are illegal and the occupants have encroached on Communidade property. But our governments are least bothered, and if someone did send them an eviction order, then the so called human right activists will wake up from their slumber as they now have an issue to scream about.
