Team Herald
PORVORIM/CALANGUTE: Even as the villagers of Calangute are agitated over the issue of dance bars, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that there are no dance bars operating in the State.
Speaking to reporters, he said, “No dance bars are operating in Goa. If found operating, no one should take law into their own hands or cause troubles to tourists. Inform the police and they will assist the persons in checking such illegalities”.
CM said that actions against touts, beggars and illegal activities have started.
However, Calangute locals and activists have alleged that no one was serious about shutting down dance bars and that the action taken by the village panchayat and the local MLA is just a show of power. They said that dance bars and touting issues were tarnishing the name of Calangute.
Giving false commitment of giving entry into dance bars and providing girls and liquor with statement like “Ladki Chahiye, Daru Chahiye” and then cheating them by giving small amount of liquor and swiping their debit cards is a daily business of touts who operate on the beach belt of Calangute.
“Of course there are dance bars operating in Calangute. Just that they don’t define it the way it is. They are run in the style and nature of bar and restaurant. The action being taken by the local MLA and village panchayat is a huge farce. It seems to be more of a show of power for political gain. The reason I say this is that all these places have been permitted by the same persons years ago with full knowledge. The biggest shame is that dance bars are the smallest cell of the entire sex racket in Calangute. There is so much more happening and this remains untouched and purposely ignored by the authorities. Dance bars are only pickup points. The real racket is elsewhere,” activist Roshan Mathias said.
Another social activist and Calangute Constituency Forum president Premanand Diukar said that people want action, not just political statements because action speaks louder than words.
Diukar said, “Dance bars, touts and prostitution has tainted the clean image of village Calangute. With such illegal activities going on openly on every streets of Calangute, it’s unsafe for the locals to move around. These illegal activities have to stop to regain the glory of village Calangute. If a metro city like Mumbai can shut down hundreds of dance bars overnight than why can’t Goa Government close such dance bars which can be counted on the tip of the fingers,” Diukar added.
The recent incident where few touts allegedly assaulted son of a panchayat member have sparked the issue and opened eyes of the local panchayat followed by which the panchayat wrote letters to police as well as made a representation to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant requesting him to curb the menace.
