In 2012 the people of Goa voted for the Bharatiya Janata Party with a hope that things would improve and moreover the ‘Parivartan’, which Manohar Parrikar had promised but four years down the line, the ‘Acche Din’ or Parivartan is still a distant dream.
Majority of Goans depend on the tourism industry and people felt with the Parivartan promised by Parrikar, that things would improve for the industry and more tourists would arrive. However, on the contrary, the numbers are dwindling.
Inquiries reveal that domestic tourist arrivals in 2015 were 40,86,908 and foreigners were 4,18,559 but many say that the figures were inflated by the tourism department.
Sources reveal this was the first year when hotel rooms went empty even during the peak season in December 2015.
What has been the cause of the drop? Herald visited a few spots and spoke to a few people on issues plaguing the three constituencies of Calangute, Siolim and Saligao.
Garbage
Garbage is an issue which has been haunting the State for a long time and many foreign tourists as well as some Indians feel the three constituencies are filthy and decide not to come back due to the problem. The situation of garbage is similar in all three constituencies. Even though the government has given out a beach cleaning contract, the beaches are far from clean.
Cattle and Beggars
This is another problem that tourists face in the three constituencies which has caused many accidents in the recent past. The authorities have done nothing to solve the issue.
Drugs
Since 2007, Goa achieved a dubious distinction of being a drug destination. The Scarlet Keeling rape and murder issue made headlines all over the world and it also brought to the limelight the free access to drugs in Goa. Since then, the situation has improved but those in the know say it is done more secretly now. The belt of Siolim, Morjim and Anjuna continues to be a hub for drug sale while Calangute also sees a few cases. Not many such cases are detected or heard of in Saligao.
Nigerians
Remember 2012? It was the day, a bunch of Nigerians dominated the Goa police on a hot afternoon and it led to a death and some injuries. However, even three years later, none of them have been deported. The locals continue to give their places on rent to these Nigerians, who continue the drug business unabated.
Tourists feel that Nigerians get into arguments and fights with other foreigners and domestic tourists over petty issues and fear for their safety.
Prostitution
While Calangute has seen a drop in drug cases, the same cannot be said about the flesh trade. Prostitution continues in the beach village, with many alleging that police have a role to play in the racket as well. Recently, locals had to take the law into their own hands to shut a bar and restaurant called Cricketers, which they allege was running a prostitution racket. Shockingly, the owner of the bar, Abhishek Mishra, who is allegedly involved in prostitution in many cases, has leased the premises to a policeman called Devendra Gad. Recently, due to the initiative of ‘Save Calangute’ and the local MLA, the illegal massage parlours were shut. Prostitution also continues unabated in Anjuna, Baga and Siolim etc.
Rave parties
While some say that some tourists come only for rave parties, which are hubs for drugs and prostitution some feel it is not in the interest of Goans.
Locals state that parties are held late at night, disturbing sleep and many a times, cases of rapes are reported after such parties. The case of the body of a 25-year old girl at Arambol is an example. Rave parties are heard of mainly in Anjuna, Siolim, Mandrem and Morjim.
Overcharging
Several tourists complain that over charging by hoteliers and taxis is another big problem that is driving tourists away. Some even swear that they won’t come back due to the many issues. The government has been unable to settle the taxi issue. Additionally, rates of hotels are not controlled.
Goa can do much better: Lobo
Calangute legislator Michael Lobo who has echoed these burning issues in the Assembly many times feels that the government can do much more on the issue. “We have done better in terms of drugs and prostitution. The issue is presently under control although not eradicated,” he said.
On drugs, he said that it is not available in Calangute but said that it was freely available in the neighbouring constituency.
While Lobo did not name any constituency, Herald understands he indicated at Siolim. On the problem faced by the industry, he said, “We need to have better infrastructure and market Goa in a more aggressive way.”
For this, he says, “Most of the foreign tourists are driven away due to the garbage. We need to work on these things. Get basic infrastructure like toilets, changing rooms. I have done it in my constituency but it should be there elsewhere too.”
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Beach cleaning a big scam: Khaunte
Porvorim MLA, Rohan Khaunte has alleged a Rs 75 crore to 80 crore scam in the awarding of the beach cleaning contract for North and South Goa. Khaunte said the contractor has not done activities such as beach cleaning, collection of waste from shacks and providing composting pits, besides dumping garbage on the Saligao plateau, giving fake names of staff, and manipulating length of beaches such as Vagator-Anjuna.
“However, the bills of the contractor are cleared on time,” he charged. The Porvorim MLA also said that before the beach cleaning work had been entrusted to the contractor, the cost for the same was approximately Rs 1.86 crore for Goa, which has now shot up to Rs 14.56 crore as paid to the contractor annually.
Alleging that the tourism department has set up the criteria for awarding the beach cleaning work in such a way that Goans were automatically disqualified from the same, Khaunte said that he had tabled in the House a file containing all evidence, including photographic proof and RTI information with regard to the failure of the contractor to clean the beach, and wanted to know whether the Tourism Minister has studied the file.
He also demanded to know about the showcause notice issued by the Goa State Pollution Control Board to the beach cleaning contractor firms for North Goa namely M/s Bhumika Cleantech Services Pvt Ltd and M/s Ram Cleaners and Developers Pvt Ltd, under Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
“Incidentally the director of both these firms is the same person,” he brought to the notice of the House.
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Calangute scores on development
BJP is known to be a party which works on discipline, but here are three MLAs of the party who do not see eye
to eye. Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, WRD Minister Dayanand Mandrekar and Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar have been against each other ever since this government came to power. Before 2012, Michael worked for Parulekar as a BJP worker and was friends with Mandrekar. Similarly, all is also not well between Parulekar and Mandrekar for reasons best known to them. Nonetheless, the Calangute MLA has scored over both his minister rivals in terms of development. Information reveals that while there has been a good amount of development in Calangute, Baga area which is a hub of tourism, the rest of the coastal constituencies are found wanting. While Calangute has seen brisk development due to initiatives by its legislator Michael Lobo, the same cannot be said about Parulekar and Mandrekar. Lobo has taken up work amounting to about Rs 300 crores while Saligao can see just one circle beautified even though its MLA is the tourism minister. While there has been no significant development in Siolim, besides some road widening and hot-mixing although Mandrekar is a senior minister in Laxmikant Parsekar’s cabinet.
