SURAJ NANDREKAR
suraj@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: At a time when the State tourism industry is going through a tough phase, the State government has transferred or relieved the three top officials in the department, bringing its functioning almost to a standstill.
Menino D’Souza, who was Tourism Director, has been transferred as Registrar of Co-operative Societies. D’Souza had taken charge of the department just about a year ago.
Similarly, Goa Tourism Development Corporation Managing Director Nikhil Desai has been relieved and Sanjith Rodrigues, who was earlier Managing Director of Goa Solid Waste Management Corporation, has been appointed in his place.
Ironically, this reshuffle came when Tourism Secretary Sheo Pratap Singh, who was here in Goa for just one-and-half year, has been transferred to Delhi by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
At a time when the State it trying to determine reasons and arrive at solution for the drastic drop in tourist arrivals, the three top officers have gone missing and their subordinates now have to answer the tough questions, sources say.
Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) has reacted very strongly to the reshuffle stating it has hampered the department’s functioning. “Menino was there for just over a year and everybody was very happy with him, I don’t know why he was removed,” TTAG president Savio Messias informed Herald.
Messias said that when the top three bureaucrats, who are handling events, programmes and administration are removed, there is no continuity. “There are crucial tourism meetings underway. The minister met the coastal MLAs
today besides he is scheduled to meet all ministers and MLAs on January 19. But the people, who have applied their minds for the last couple of years on issues, will not be present. New people have come and new things will come up,” he lamented.
He asked if the people who have been working on the master plan for the last couple of years are suddenly removed, will there be continuity?
“As it is we have taken four years for preparing a master plan, which had to be completed in six months. I don’t blame KPMG, they are giving reports on time but the delay is from the government,” he said.
Messias added, “Worse still we have seen four secretaries change during this period. The planning started with Sanjay Srivastava then Dharmendra Sharma and then Sheo Pratap Singh, who was principal secretary, and now Parimal Rai. People keep changing and there is a delay”.
Messias said the government has to have an open mind with regards the policy and maintain continuity for the process to be completed.
