Team Herald
PANJIM: The fortnight-old notification to re-constitute the evaluation committee on the progress of preparation of Tourism Master Plan and Tourism Policy has triggered a fresh debate on the prolonged delay to finalise the crucial vision document.
Close to two years since Tourism Department invited stakeholders to participate in consultative sessions on the interim document in September 2016, the finalisation of the policy still hangs in balance.
Tourism Minister Manohar Azgaonkar had, during the last Assembly session, asserted that the Tourism Master Plan and Policy would be ready in four months, but the notification that has now been published, has present and past heads of tourism’s main stakeholder not quite happy with the delay.
“It (reconstitution of the committee) has been done too late. It should have been done much earlier, but nevertheless it has been constituted. The master plan has been delayed for a very long time. Hopefully with the reconstitution of the committee and Secretary (Tourism) now heading the committee, we hope it will move faster,” Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) president Savio Messias said, speaking to Herald.
A visibly upset past president of TTAG, Ralph D’Souza, said the tourism master plan and the policy should be implemented quickly to avoid haphazard development in the already popular tourism hub of Goa.
“The sooner the better because that will give certain order for development, or else there would be haphazard development and this does not help anybody. The Master Plan also has a Tourism Policy that has various parts. It should be a small document giving the vision of the State and mission of the tourism industry whereas in its second part, the Tourism Board should be constituted,” he said.
D’Souza added that the master plan being a road map for tourism for the next two decades it should be in sync with the regional plan, besides which it is also imperative that the environment is safeguarded and various related infrastructure and connectivity given proper shape. “It is only an upgrade and promotion (of Goa) in the right way. The delay is hampering all this. Unless it is expedited and notified, it will go on in ad hoc basis,” he added.
Gaurish Dhond, another past TTAG president and current president of the Goa Hotels and Restaurant Association strongly recommended that the committee be serious and time-bound in completing the task. “You cannot go on doing it for years and years. It’s been 5 to 6 years that the plan is not moving ahead. With a change in government and positions in the tourism department, the concerned think they can do better and this process is a waste of time and money. Moreover, the biggest crisis of unfair taxi fares should be solved,” he said.
The interim document, drafted by government appointed consultant KPMG Advisory Services Pvt Ltd was uploaded on Tourism Department’s website in 2016 seeking suggestions/objections from the stakeholders, but it has since not seen the light of day. Sources in the government said that with the reconstitution of the committee, the chairman is expected to soon call for a meeting to take further action. It has also been learnt that the tourism policy will once again be placed for public consultation.
The committee now comprises of Secretary (Tourism) as its new chairman, with 10 members – Additional Secretary (Finance), Chief Town Planner, Goa Tourism Development Corporation managing director, GCZMA member secretary, present and immediate past presidents of TTAG, Sandeep Bhandare (chartered accountant), Larry Malarkar (tourism marketing expert), P F X D’Lima (economist); and has the Tourism Director as its member secretary.
The notification has also stated that the committee may hold public consultations, workshops, analyse, review suggestions, view presentation made by the consultant at every stage and lay down its procedures for finalisation of the master plan. While this may create panic considering that another round of inviting public views will result in further delay, the Tourism Director has denied any such move.
