MARGAO
As he came across tourists gulping beer on the Colva beach and strays making the shore their permanent home, newly-elected Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas has called for a system, including beach patrolling to reign in on the violators and a mechanism to keep the beach clean.
Conspicuous by their absence at the beach entrance during the inspection were the ice cream hawkers, and migrant hawkers on the shore. Top Colva police officials were also conspicuous by their absence.
Colva police station in-charge, PI Melson Colaco, however, later told the media that he along with DySP was attending a meeting of police officials in Panaji on Monday evening.
Venzy, along with Tourism Assistant Director Rodlyn Mascarenhas, Colva Sarpanch Johnson Coelho, Panch members and tourism stakeholders made his presence felt at the iconic beach after his election as MLA to get a first-hand report on the state of affairs on the beach only to find a couple of domestic tourists with beer bottles and the strays loitering on the coastal belt.
The MLA told the police and tourism officials that the visitors have come with the beer bottles on the beach for want of awareness as well as enforcement. In fact, instead of cracking a whip against tourists drinking in the open on the beach, the MLA has suggested they confiscate the liquor bottles and make them aware that drinking is banned on the beach.
He also lent his ears to the locals who have been deprived of putting up stalls on the beach square, insisting the tourism department grant the permissions to erect stalls with proper procedure.
“We have come on the beach for a solution. We have set March 31 as the deadline during which time the departments will interact to put a system in place and to maintain the place with a permanent solution. We have seen beer bottles and also stray cattle and dogs. The STP also seemed not working", he said.
Venzy added; “We have to understand that everyone will benefit if the beach is kept clean. From my side, I intend to move a Private Member’s Bill in the House to bring an Amendment to the existing Act to put the system in place. We are not here for a blame-game, but to work out a solution. Businesses will increase with a hike in the number of tourists".
