PANJIM: After an embarrassing misleading tweet about Marathas, the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) has discontinued/terminated the services of the official who was engaged by the project unit team to upload social media posts for the corporation with immediate effect.
The GTDC has also fixed responsibility on an official, who contributed to the post that stirred controversy over calling Marathas as invaders. However, the concerned official and the Protect Unit’s names have been kept under wraps.
“Taking strong cognisance of recent controversial post on social media, which stirred up a controversy, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and Tourism Minister Babu Ajgaonkar directed that an enquiry be carried out and responsibility be fixed on the official responsible for the recent social media post citing Marathas as ‘invaders,” reads a press statement issued by the GTDC on Saturday.
“Accordingly, after conducting a detailed enquiry by Shri S K Narvekar Dy GM (IT), it has been decided to fix responsibility on the official who has contributed to the said post. The services of the official who was engaged by the Project Unit team to upload social media posts has been discontinued/ terminated with immediate effect.”
The authorities have further said a responsible officer from Goa Tourism will vet all the social media posts before these are uploaded on any platforms. A recommendation has also been made to engage services of a professional PR agency to handle all social media posts.
Goa Tourism’s post calling Marathas as invaders, during a promotional tweet about Aguada Fort, created quite a stir. Narendra Sawaikar, Opposition Leader Digambar Kamat, Goa Forward president Vijai Sardesai and Independent MLA Rohan Khaunte had slammed the offensive post. Many others on social media also pulled up the department over the post, which has been withdrawn. An apology tweet followed thereafter.
