Team Herald
PANJIM: The Tourism Industry has slammed the State government and the Tourism Minister for failing to remove curbs on the industry during the Code of Conduct.
The industry said the government has failed to protect the interest of the local businesses.
As per code of conduct, the night business has to be shut by 10 pm.
Travel and Tourism Association of Goa President Savio Messias said that the tourism is going to get affected due to the restrictions.
“People are coming here to have good time, to party; but they are not getting the opportunity. Many hoteliers have told me that they are having cancellations,” he said.
Messias recalled that the TTAG had taken up the issue with the Chief Electoral Officer, almost a year back, but did not hear anything back from them.
“Now it is too late to take up the issue. Such kind of restriction is not there in other countries, only we are having them,” he said adding that “time has come that we need to do something about it.”
“The Goa government is not doing anything. We will have to find some way out; may be through the courts,” he said.
“The tourism minister seems to be least concerned about our problems,” he said.
Reacting to letter by Goa Forward Party, he said that the party should follow it up. “I appreciate their decision. Let us hope that we get some relief,” he said.
Goa Forward Party Chief Vijai Sardesai in his letter to ECI on Friday had said that the tourism industry has suffered major loses on account of the restrictions imposed in view of elections.
“We believe that the industry is an apolitical entity and does not engage in inducements. Further, imposing such restrictions on an industry which is already hit and which is the mainstay of the State economy will cause irreparable damage to the economy as a whole,” Sardesai had said.
He had further said, “In view of the above, we suggest that certain relaxation be granted to the various establishments who have licences to operate beyond 11 pm. So also, religious activities, be exempted from these restrictions since they do not hinder the election process.”
The beach shack owners in the State are one of the stakeholders who are facing brunt of the restrictions.
“Tourism industry has been affected. There are certain people who arrive at the shack and sit with the drink till 11 pm. They have now started staying indoors,” said Cruz Cardoso, president of Shack Owners’ Welfare Society.
He said that the footfalls in the shacks have been reduced tremendously due to which some of the shacks have already started dismantling their structure for the season.
Cardozo questioned the wisdom of restriction claiming that “Goan voters should not have been allowed to drink. Why are you banning foreigners?”
“They are supporting economy. They are not voters anyway,” he added.
Cardoso said that some of the British travellers are laughing at the system. “We are tourists why they are stopping us,” he said.
He said that the move by Goa Forward party to write to ECI is a good one and is genuine one. “They have put up this genuine issue before the Election Commission and we should appreciate it,” he commented.
Sardesai on Saturday said, “Everyone from the establishment seems to helplessly accept the restrictions of the Model Code of Conduct without questioning their justification as to whether these measures actually have a bearing on affecting electoral neutrality. But we as elected representatives of the state and especially being part of the Government cannot betray our responsibility to the people of the state. Whilst democracy is about people we mustn’t forget that economy also concerns people. Restrictions which affect tourism Industry are needless and since the industry is apolitical, I strongly feel that the Election Commission should accept the general sentiment and take corrective measures.”
