PANJIM: Following complaints by girls from the North Eastern States claiming that they were forced to give ‘cross massages’, the State Health department has decided to come down heavily on massage parlours indulging in such illegal practices.
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said the department has geared up after it received several complaints and a detailed memorandum signed by 30 girls from the North Eastern States claiming that they were forced to give ‘cross massages’.
Rane said the government will form a special squad along with the Police to raid massage parlours and if they are found violating the law their licences under the Health Act would be suspended.
“We are not going to allow such illegalities at any cost,” the minister said. He said that the memorandum submitted by the girls named 15 parlours, including two prominent ones located in Panjim, while the others are in Calangute, Candolim, Vasco and Colva.
“In the name of massages, there are a lot of illegalities that happen in the parlours, including prostitution. We will never tolerate such activities and hence we have decided to crack down on it,” the minister said.
Rane said the Health Department has also issued a warning to parlours located in five star hotels that their licences too will be cancelled, if they are found violating the law.
