The thoughtful, well researched and perceptive analysis on the KPMG Tourism Master Plan ‘Some things never change’ (Herald Review, Nov 11) is a sad and frightening commentary on the manner in which the State Government, hand in glove with inept consultants like KPMG, are deciding the destiny of Goa. As pointed out in the piece, “sustainability is the first cornerstone principle of a proposed tourism policy”. Sadly, sustainability has proved to be the first casualty in KPMG’s Tourism Master Plan, which was entered into without the guidance and direction of a policy or vision statement, and with no apparent idea of Goa’s carrying capacity.
It is clear that the KPMG crew responsible for drafting this Tourism Master Plan, did so from comfortable, insulated air conditioned environs, or else they would have been aware of the ground realities of our situation and been more realistic in their expectations of a Government that cannot even provide adequate power, water or effective garbage management. This is the Government on whose watch, hotels are merrily discharging sewage into the sea and drugs and sleaze are allegedly being peddled all over.
While Goan villages are the venues for KPMG’s “world class” tourism projects, its total disregard for the Goan way of life is evident from the fact that not even a single representative of local bodies, environment experts or urban planners find a place on its constituted Goa Tourism Board. And dumping of hotels, beach clubs and conference facilities within 200 mts of the shoreline is KPMG’s novel treatment for “eco-sensitive” areas of Goa, it appears that KPMG in its production of this “Masterpiece” has even insulated itself from prevailing world trends.
It is clear that KPMG believes and delivers, based on the principle “one size fits all”. So whether one sports the dimensions of a sumo wrestler, or is a veritable bag of bones, the “world class” size of the outfit stays the same. The figure must accommodate itself to fit the dress.
