TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: In an effort to tighten the noose around illegal massage parlours and spas operating in the State, the government intends to impose a penalty of Rs 20,000 on non-registered outlets.
The Goa Public Health (Amendment) Bill, 2014, tabled in the House on Monday, also imposes fine of Rs 5,000 on masseurs and therapists caught working without valid registration certificate. It also proposed to have a medical fitness certificate issued by the government hospital mandatory. Similarly, the Bill also puts the onus of recruiting non-certified masseurs/therapists on the massage parlour/spa owners and imposes Rs 10,000 fine for violation.
Interestingly, the inspection officer, who will have to maintain a register of the registered masseurs/therapists, will, however, not be allowed to enter any room or area of the establishments where massage is being carried out without prior notice.
It may be recalled that on August 6, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has assured the Goa Assembly to table amendments to the Act to give more teeth to law enforcement authorities, during the last week of the monsoon session, to crackdown on massage parlours and spas that are allegedly fronts for prostitution.
The assurance was in response to a calling attention motion moved by BJP’s Calangute MLA Michael Lobo alleging that prostitution was taking place under the guise of government-approved massage parlours/spas and ayurvedic treatment centres due to weak enforcement. He had also sought inspection of the premises, considering that a few of these run prostitution rackets thus violating the license issued by the Health Department.
Parrikar had assured solving the grievances while also maintaining that these establishments cannot be stopped but only their activities could certainly be regulated through the revised Act.
According to the Bill tabled on Monday, health officers or any officer not below the rank of deputy superintendent of police will have the powers to inspect the establishment as well as their clients’ records. “The person in-charge of massage parlour/spa shall, at all time, allow such officer to carry out such inspection. If upon such inspection, the massage parlour/spa is found to be running in contravention of the provisions of this Act, rules say that such officers shall immediately inform…the collector, who shall immediately take all the steps for its closure…” the Bills states.
The Bill also seeks screening of labourers for malaria at health centres, failing which the concerned builders and contractors will be imposed daily fine of Rs 500.
The Bill goes to the extent that if this continues beyond the period of 15 days from the imposition of daily fine, the builder’s construction licence could even be suspended and the he could even face imprisonment of not less than three months extendable to six months, if convicted.
