CALANGUTE: The Calangute Village Panchayat at a gram sabha on Sunday resolved to support watersports operators in Calangute, who are opposed to the Goa Electronics Limited (GEL) plan to take over the ticketing operations of boat rides.
Talking at the gram sabha, a watersports operator from Baga said they have invested in the watersports business ever since it was started.
“The government has never given us any subsidy or anything and now they want to bring an outside party and keep them there to charge tourists and give tickets. Why should we allow them? So we request the panchayat to support us by making a representation to the government and Tourism Department,” he said.
Sarpanch Joseph Sequeira said the panchayat would “definitely support them. We will do it.”
He said panchayat members would take a resolution at their next general body meeting. The gram sabha also adopted a resolution to shut down all the illegal dance bars in the village.
Sarpanch Sequeira said they have already taken steps in this direction.
“We sent notices, conducted site inspections, sent demolition notices, followed procedure, after which we have prepared the file and sent it to the demolition squad. Now, what has happened is that one of the owners has gone to the Director of Panchayats to maintain status quo on the panchayat letter. But we’re going to fight it in the High Court. We’re taking action,” he said.
Sequeira said the panchayat has limited powers to act against the dance bars.
“The Excise licence to stay open till 4 am is given by the Excise Department over which the government has control. We don’t have control,” he said.
He also reiterated his demand that a bill be passed in the State Legislative Assembly to ban dance bars as has been done in Maharashtra.
“All MLAs should debate on this and pass a law that there will not be any dance bars anywhere in Goa. But will our elected MLAs do this? Will anyone have the guts?” he said.
A resolution was also adopted to ask the State government to transfer the Calangute PI Dattaguru Sawant because of his alleged failure to take any action against dance bars.
On the status of the long-delayed sewerage pipeline network, the sarpanch informed the gram sabha that they have identified land for a sewerage pumping station at Gauravaddo belonging to the Comunidade but the access road to the plot is through other properties and their owners are raising objections.
