Some tourists come to Goa only for drugs, says CM
TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Tuesday said that some tourists come to this palm-fringed beach State only for drugs, either to sell or consume them.
“Some tourists come here only for drugs,” the chief minister said adding, “I admit that the drug trade does exist in the State. We want that the narcotics peddling should be controlled and government machinery is working in that direction. In recent times, police have seized lots of drugs,” Parsekar said on the sidelines of a day-long workshop organized on ‘Role of Media and NGO in Environmental Conservation’.
Buttressing his statement on tourists he said, “These tourists don’t contribute any revenue. They are bankrupt. They visit Goa only for the purpose of drugs and other anti-social activities. In the days to come we will heighten vigil on such kind of tourists.”
The chief minister’s statements come on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement in ‘Man ki baat’ programme that the money earned through narcotics trade is funding terror organizations in India.
Responding to a question pertaining to Modi’s utterance, Parsekar said there is truth in what the prime minister said. “A State such as Goa should be more alert,” he said.
The ruling BJP that was very vocal against drugs when they were in opposition, had on Friday admitted that the drug trade cannot be eradicated completely from the State. The party also admitted that the narcotics trade does exist in Goa but its government had been successful in curbing the increasing menace.
However, the Parsekar-led government as well as the BJP is silent on government not accepting the House Committee report on ‘politician-police-drug mafia nexus’ that had noted that the former Home Minister Ravi Naik was shielding the drug trade. The report drafted by Minister Francisco (Mickky) Pacheco was submitted to the government last year.
