TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The government on Monday decided to retender life guard services and beach safety management at the earliest, so as to have a new module in place by March.
The decision came after a high level meeting between tourism officials led by chief minister Manohar Parrikar and Drishti management, which also decided to hike life guards’ salaries by 40 per cent. In the new tender agreement, the government would pay only life guard service charges, while the contracting agency would bear the cost of replacing its equipment, it was resolved at the meet.
The life guard services would now cover new areas such as lakes, Dudhsagar waterfalls etc and extra hours would be added to their vigil, which presently is from sunrise to sunset. The thrust in the new tenders would be on adding new equipment.
Drishti, through Surf Life Saving Goa has been providing life guard and beach safety management services all along the State’s coastline since 2008. The contract expires six months from now.
It is learnt that the agency has impressed on the government to begin the re-tendering process at the earliest since beach equipment needs urgent replacements and there is need to add more personnel, equipment and other services.
Following the deliberations, it is learnt that the government will proceed to invite a single tender for the whole of Goa with thrust on better facilities, higher salaries for life guards, new equipment, coverage of new areas and additional hours of life guard services.
Chairman and Managing Director of Drishti Group, Rajiv Somani when contacted welcomed the government’s decision saying, “This will go a long way in making life guard services a profession.”
Somani said the recommendations that have come from the government is going to bring in a completely re-invented life guard program which is the need of the hour.
