Acting on a Herald report highlighting the growing anger towards male tourists visiting Calangute beach in their underwear, a Goa Tourist Police force headed by Police Sub Inspector Sachin Gawas has begun manning the Calangute beach promenade since Friday.
The police teams, also acting at the behest of Calangute legislator Michael Lobo, have been driving away male tourists in their underwear and have directed them to use appropriate swimwear to bathe in the sea.
The male tourists have also been warned not to drink alcohol on the beach promenade and not to carry liquor glass bottles on the beach.
The police patrol teams have, however, encountered some hurdles in their task to create awareness among tourists visiting Calangute beach.
While interacting with Lobo, Gawas highlighted the difficulties faced by police in enforcing the two rules, especially in the absence of signboards or warning boards on the beach.
The police officer informed the MLA that tourists had sought to know under which rules they were being barred from either drinking on the beach or swimming in their underwear.
Gawas also suggested to Lobo that it would be better that they were provided with a challan book to penalise tourists not obeying the rules.
When contacted, Lobo said the tourist police force and with IRB police have started manning the Calangute beach since Friday.
“The police teams have begun warning the tourists not to drink at the Calangute beach promenade or to swim in their underwear. However, Gawas informed me that a few tourists had questioned them over these restrictions.”
“Hence, it would be better if the state government and the Tourism Department back them in this initiative and provide them with challan books to penalise offenders, while also displaying signboards or warning boards on the beaches of Goa.”
“Littering or drinking on the beaches of Goa is a punishable offence and so, the challan books would help the police carry out their duties at the beach. Erecting signboards would send the right signal across the state to make sure that Indian tourists behave properly on Goan shores,” said Lobo.
“The Goa Tourist Police has made a good beginning and the Tourism Department should support extend their full support to the police force,” Lobo added.
