PANJIM: Following an outrage against roadside cooking by tourists, the Calangute panchayat and North Goa Planning and Development Authority (NGPDA) have started confiscating the cylinders and penalising tourist buses.
“From yesterday we have begun a drive to confiscate the cylinders and penalise them. Earlier, we have cautioned the tourists against roadside cooking which is dangerous, but they do not listen,” NGPDA Chairman and local MLA Michael Lobo told Herald.
He said that road-side cooking is dangerous and can kill people.
“If there is a blast in parking lot, vehicles will catch fire and several lives could be lost,” he said.
With the arrival of the tourist season, several tourists park their buses in the open and parking areas and start cooking.
“Many a time, the locals had confronted the tourists and even the police had warned them against cooking in the open. However, they move to some other place and start cooking,” Lobo said.
“Yesterday we confiscated two cylinders, utensils and have started penalising them,” Lobo said.
The MLA said that the tourists can hire some authorised places with proper kitchen and cook.
“We have no problem if they rent some place and cook but not like this. Here they are posing danger and also littering the place which cannot be tolerated,” he said adding the rented place should have licences and proper NOCs from authorities.
Meanwhile the Calangute panchayat has also begun a drive to confiscate the bicycles of illegal chai wallas.
“We do not want any nuisance in the village and tourists should not take bad memories,” Lobo said.
