Divided they fight: It’s BJP v/s BJP in Sanvordem over delay in Dudhsagar tourism season
Team Herald
PONDA: There is tussle between jeep operators and GTDC over online booking fee issue with allegations and counter allegations resulting to delay in season and various political party leaders are also criticising the government on the issue.
However BJP Block President at Sanvordem Vilas Desai accused the local MLA and GTDC Chairman Ganesh Gaonkar and alleged that he was responsible for not resolving the issue.
This stirred a hornet’s nest with other BJP supporters from all the six panchayats of Sanvordem constituency backing the MLA to the hilt and minced no words to hit out against Desai.
Sarpanchas, deputy sarpanchas and panchas from various panchayats of Savordem Constituency who backed the MLA, held a press briefing and condemned the statement made by BJP block president.
They said Desai had neither discussed the issue with them nor any BJP supporters in Sanvordem before approaching the media to cast aspersions against the MLA.
It may be recalled Desai had on Monday alleged that despite Sanvordem MLA being the GTDC Chairman and being part of Government could not resolve the issue between jeep operators and GTDC for starting the tourism season at Dudhsagar and therefore held the legislator responsible for the delay.
They MLA’s supporters said that they would file a complaint with the party leaders against Desai and added that the Chief Minister had found a solution to the issue by reducing booking fee by Rs 100 and had infact told Desai to convey to the jeep operators to go ahead with the tourism season which he failed to do so. “Instead of doing his duty, Desai is criticising the MLA for delay in tourism season,” they said.
It may be recalled that with local tour operators feuding with the government over Goa Tourism Development online booking portal, the opening of Dudhsagar waterfall for tourism season has been delayed.
Usually, the Dudhsagar waterfall is opened for visitors by October 2, but the Tour Operators Association were not willing to start operations this season until an assurance is received from the Chief Minister that GTDC’s online booking portal is closed.
GTDC has wrong notion on taxi business at Dudhsagar: Tamankar
Team Herald
PANJIM: The Goa Private Owners' Association General Secretary Sudip Tamankar on Tuesday alleged that businessmen at Dudhsagar are facing many difficulties due to the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) lopsided view on the business which has been running smoothly for the last 30 years ago.
Speaking to reporters, he said," As per the statistics, the employment rate is increasing in the state which is forcing even educated youth to set up their own business at Dudhsagar. But the GTDC is having a wrong notion on their business and this started in 2012. We hoped that the situation would improve after the appointment of a new chairman but it could not."
Tamankar pointed out that he had filed 30 RTI applications in a single day which unearthed at least 22 scams and added that he called for a probe into all the scams but the GTDC did not take any action nor was there any correspondence related to them and demanded that the government must resolve the issue of Dudhsagar Jeep Operators Association as soon as possible as the tourism season is close.