Panaji: Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte on Thursday said that the recent order of his department against the activities creating nuisance empowers police to imprison the violator.
Khaunte told reporters in Panaji that the order promulgated by Director of Tourism Nikhil Desai this week empowers police officer under section 188 of CrPC to imprison the violator.
The department has marked various activities including illegal touting, hawking, blocking of the way for tourists, cooking in open spaces, boating at unauthorized places, driving vehicle on the beaches as nuisance.
The minister said that in the past, all these activities were attracting only fines. “If someone was not ready to pay fines, the police could not punish him further. Now the powers are vested with police under section 188 of CrPC to imprison him,” he said.
Khaunte said that the order is a major step towards eradicating the wrong-doing in the tourism sector and provide good experience for the traveler who arrive in the state.
He also said that the recently drafted Jetty Policy is also a step forward to regularize the working at tourism jetties, which are currently witnessing lot of illegal activities like unauthorized guiding or touting.
Reacting to the opposition by certain quarters for Jetty Policy, the minister said that some elements were misguiding people about the proposed Jetty Policy. “The wrong impression is created that we want to encourage Coal transport in the state through this policy or it will affect the Traditional fishermen,” he said.
The minister said that the Tourism Department had kept the Jetty Policy for inviting suggestions and objections. “It was noticed that majority of the suggestions and objections were cut and paste job done from one document into multiple,” he said.
