Panaji, July 26 (PTI) Tourism minister Manohar Ajagaonkar said he tourists who do not respect the culture of Goa and indulge into activities like littering or doing drugs is not welcome in the state.
Ajgaonkar said that the tourists arriving here should know to respect the local culture and avoid creating nuisance on the beaches. He also said that the existing laws do not have enough teeth to tackle nuisance created by hawkers or vendors on the beaches of the State.
“I still say that we don’t want tourists who arrive here and create nuisance and do not respect our culture. We don’t want them if they litter on the beaches or do drugs,” he said speaking during Question Hour of ongoing monsoon assembly session.
The minister said that many a times tourists after getting drunk create nuisance on the road. “There is a difference between a Goan who is drunk and tourist. Goan will walk straight on the road while tourists walk shaking their body,” Ajgaonkar said to claim that Goans know to handle their drinks.
He said that the department has been working to clear nuisance like stray animals, garbage and illegal hawkers on the beaches, but they resurface time and again.
“The existing law do not have teeth to handle these issues. We clear the nuisance but they resurface again. We want to strengthen the existing tourism act which will help us to curb this nuisance,” he said.
Ajgaonkar said that personnel of India Reserve Batallion (IRB) who are posted on the beaches do not have enough powers and they have to depend on local police to take action.
“Whenever we confiscate things from the hawkers illegally present on the beach, they never come back to pay fine or take back their belongings. They just run away,” he said.
The minister said that Director of Tourism has already issued circular listing out banned activities on the beaches.
