There was a shocking news report in the Herald of October 31, 2020 on the approval of the Tourism Master Plan & Tourism Policy for Goa. I again refer to the Public Notice advertisement of the Department of Tourism that appeared on the Herald of August 27, 2016 (voice of India/page 11). According to that advertisement, views of all stake holders were sought on the so-called interim submission of the Tourism Master Plan document within seven days.
The tourism master plan document dated 24 August 24, 2016 neither referred to nor included any defined sustainable tourism policy for Goa finalised through proper stakeholder and local community consultation process. There was a need for a detailed notified sustainable tourism sector development policy document clearly highlighting the methodology to resolve the existing local tourism sector issues, over a period of time.
There is a difference between a tourism sector development policy/sector development master plan and a tourism investment policy/investment master plan. The tourism master plan document highlighted in the above referred advertisement is actually a tourism investment master plan for promoting massive investment projects in a hurry, without studying sustainability and carrying capacity of the tiny State of Goa.
The tourism master plan consultant was also the financial consultant for Mopa Airport. It appears the main objective of the consultant was to propose long-term unsustainable hidden urban district for implementing massive unwanted hotel & housing development investment projects near the geographical boundary of Goa.
The above referred tourism master plan of August 2016 had highlighted the unsustainable multi-modal transportation connectivity strategy including track doubling of the Konkan and South Western Railways, jetties, inland waterways river cruises, seaplane services, marinas, National Highways expansion/new linking road and proposed ring roads in the tiny State of Goa.
The 3 yrs & 3 to 5 yrs development programmes to revive and promote agricultural practices and protect eco-sensitive villages across Goa makes no sense, if the agricultural villages of Camurlim, Raia, Rachol and Curtorim are going to be encircled by an unwanted proposed ring road from Camurlim to Rawanfond. Can we allow such infrastructure development concepts all over Goa for promoting the hidden business plans of the Mopa Airport?
Are the Sagarmala projects in Goa on rail track doubling and the inland waterways development with jetties only for promoting coal hub? The commercial development along the banks of the river for construction of luxury hotels with casinos and gambling destination for the rich is equally dangerous for the peaceful hinterland villages of Goa. Also, it is practically not possible to develop existing National Highways and other roads in Goa to meet the road right-of-way requirements of Expressways, Economic Corridors and Inter Corridors under Bharatmala Pariyojana without completely destroying the villages. Can we allow such 30-yrs infrastructure development projects for supporting 30-yr hypothetical land-use plans?
