Government may have finally moved towards tackling issues like tourists drinking and cooking in public places by tweaking the laws in force, but this doesn’t sound convincing by any measure. History tells us another story. We have so many rules and regulations in force and there have been countless announcements made on going tough on such nuisances, with nothing reflecting on the ground. Life still goes on the way it has for the many tourists who prefer to make the roadsides their holiday homes, and for all those who continue drinking merrily on the beaches and public places.
When we have laws in place and the system doesn’t work, it could mean either of these three possibilities: Either the laws are not good enough, or enforcement has failed or the worst of them all “ the enforcing authorities have used these laws as tools for extortion “ the tighter the laws, the higher the corruption.
What we need is strict enforcement of the laws. There was a time when even police bosses spoke of directing police force to go tough on such nuisances, but this has never resulted as a deterrent for the habitual tourist.
The state has failed miserably in cracking the whip where it matters. From traffic violations to smoking in public and chewing paan and gutka, from garbage dumping to tourists cooking in open spaces, Goa has been an open ground for all of the above despite the laws. Tourists were seen cooking in the open last year and so did they do it this year. Tourists have been defecating in the open and continue to do so till now. Our enforcement authorities have looked the other way when there was a need to crack down.
On paper, wholesale liquor outlets are barred from doing retail business, but this has never stopped the free flow of booze, even within premises. There was a time when Parrikar warned of action and threatened to cancel licences of such liquor shops. The excise department should come on record and show how many licenses have been suspended so far.
The casino industry is another area where the government is trying to salvage its pride. An announcement to tighten the screws is not going to impress anyone, for the fact that the bonhomie between the casinos and successive governments is well known. After much delay, the government may have finally came up with a Gaming Commission in 2012, but the Gaming Commissioner, who would be the regulatory authority for the casino industry is not appointed till date for reasons best known to the State government.
The chief minister’s move to start a Standard Operating Procedure for annual maintenance ahead of the monsoon is a step in the right direction. Perhaps, these initiatives of holding division-wise meetings to understand local issues will help sort out power supply problems. However, it would make better sense if Parrikar also involves the planning division of the Electricity Department in this trouble-shooting exercises. While talking of traffic violations, would it not make sense if the chief minister spares a thought for the conditions of our roads?
