PORVORIM: Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao and Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte had a heated exchange in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday over the payment of Rs 226 crore to Drishti Lifesaving between 2020 and 2024 and the 56 drowning deaths recorded between 2022 and 2024.
Raising the issue during Question Hour, Alemao questioned why Drishti’s contract was extended without retendering, suggesting an undue preference for the company. “Why so much ‘mog’ (affection) towards Drishti?” he asked.
In response, Minister Khaunte clarified that there were only 29 drowning deaths, with the remaining being body retrievals. He explained that Drishti won the tender initially in 2008 for five years, qualified again in 2014, and had extensions through to 2019, and subsequently for shorter periods until the new government took power in 2022. He assured that the lifesaving contract would be retendered within the next three months.
“They (Drishti) are doing a commendable job and doing it in a nice way,” the Minister said, defending the agency’s performance.
Alemao continued to press his point about the number of deaths during Drishti’s tenure, while Khaunte reiterated the distinction between drowning deaths and body retrievals. The Minister also noted that many drownings occurred outside lifeguard duty hours (before 7 am and after 7 pm) or in dangerous, unsupervised areas like Keri and Tiracol, where people often climb slippery rocks to take selfies and fall into the water due to unexpected waves.
Khaunte further mentioned that the new tender would require the winning agency to incorporate the latest technology and modern equipment for enhanced beach safety.
