Herald: Why are you upset with the Tourism department?
Michael: The Tourism department needs to have a focus, and this is because tourism is the only economic driver at present, in Goa. But the focus is shifting. The department is only doing things for name sake. The tourism director has five additional charges. Deputy Director Arvind Kutkar too has additional charges.
Both officers manning important posts have additional charges. What justice can they do to the job? The tourism minister only wants to finish the budget and show the people of Goa that he has to spent money. So he goes on junkets.
These junkets are not really meant to bring tourists to Goa. It is private travel agents like Sita who bring tourists to Goa. But now they (department) are going all out to make a master plan without any vision because he (minister) wants to spend some more crores.
His vision for Goa is to have a ropeway. His vision is to land seaplanes. But his vision is not to clean the beaches. He is not speaking to the contractor who is doing the beach cleaning nor has he consulted any of the MLAs.
In short I want to say that a cobbler cannot be made to cut hair. So what can you expect from this type of person.
Herald:Is the situation so bad that you have to take on your own government?
Michael: I am not taking on my own government. But I am pointing out whatever is wrong. I am a loyal soldier of the party and have been in the party for the last nine years. I have full faith in the chief minister. But the chief minister will have to take his words back that he will not interfere in any department. Like Parrikar who used to correct them, to show them what is going wrong.
Today the number of foreign tourist has completely gone down. We have to see how to bring them back.
Herald: Are the government authorities such as police not taking cognizance of your complaints on prostitution, drugs, etc?
Michael: Why only my complaints? Whose complaints are they taking cognizance of?
Few officers are doing a wonderful job. Why are the rest not doing a good job?
Foreigners are selling drugs on the coastal belt. Police are scared to ask them.
Foreigners are asking people directly – do you want cocaine? And the police are scared to arrest them. Or search them, since directions are coming to them. People of Goa are fed up. They want action.
On prostitution, we need to keep our eyes open. We Goans need to keep our eyes open and inform the government.
Today people gathered and had to take law into their own hands and demolish dance bars.
