Team Herald
PORVORIM: Deputy Chief Minister Manohar Agjaonkar gave a lengthy speech about all that he claimed to have achieved and about his personal journey as well, instead of giving replies to demands. Ajgaonkar also hit back at his detractors claiming that tourism in Goa had never seen the kind of development and changes before he took over the Tourism portfolio.
He listed out steps his department had taken to keep the beaches clean and to stop public drinking etc and other undesirable activities as well as measures to form a Tourism Board and make the tourism policy and master plan.
Ajgaonkar claimed that all the money spent on foreign road shows and advertisements had brought in a record number of tourists in Goa before the pandemic struck but the same figure was not reflected in official government records.
He said 1 crore 20 lakh tourists had visited Goa but a large section were staying in illegal and unregistered establishments, which is why the official numbers were low.
He added that now tourists have to stay at registered places only.
The Tourism Minister also clashed with Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao when he said Goan taxis had spoiled the image of Goa’s tourism abroad. While Alemao defended local taxi owners who he said were not being supported as opposed to ‘non Goan’ taxi owners, Alemao also criticised Ajgaonkar for the high fees local football clubs have to pay to use the states’ sports infrastructure.
Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat also called for measures to be taken to ensure traditional businesses like production of Feni not being given to commercial companies from outside the State.
Ajgaonkar also clashed with MGP MLA Sudin Dhavalikar over the charges levelled against him regarding the use of the department’s finances and said all decisions taken by his department including the appointment of an agency had ensured that the State government increased a big increase in revenue.
