Taking cognizance of a Herald report on the sorry state of affairs at Calangute Beach Promenade, the Village Panchayat of Calangute decided to take up the issue with Goa Tourism to maintain the property.

Deputy Sarpanch of Calangute, Joseph Sequeira said, ”Initially when the project was being planned by the government of Goa under the leadership of then Chief Minister for the Village of Calangute, we had suggested handing over the Calangute Beach Promenade to the Village Panchayat of Calangute to maintain its cleanliness, etc. However, things did not work out and today the Calangute Beach Promenade is in a total mess and an eye sore for tourists visiting. We are ready to bury the past and work together with the tourism department to maintain it,” he said.

Sequeira noted that cleanliness was of prime importance. The addition of 2-3 security personnel litter and clearing of garbage from the bins regularly is needed. He also touched on the possibility of hiring musicians to liven up the area and engage with tourists. He also insisted on maintaining the garden around the promenade.

Talking about the cleanliness of foreign beaches, he said that if Calangute beach is handed over to the panchayat, it can be maintained better. “We took cognizance of the Herald report on the sorry state of affairs at Calangute and we intend to write to the tourism department to hand over the project to us for maintenance,” he concluded.