MARGAO
In another development on the controversial Colva pay parking project, the Tourism Department has gone ahead with the notification on the parking rates for vehicular parking on the department’s property admeasuring 14,651 square metres at the world class Colva beach.
What’s interesting to note is that the notification signed by Deputy Director of Tourism (North Zone), Rajesh Kale was issued by the Tourism Department on December 8, the date when fishermen inhabiting the Salcete coast and villagers of Colva had called on the Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira with a plea to scrap the pay parking project.
This has only thrown up the question whether the Tourism Department is hell bent in implementing the pay parking project at the world class beach, notwithstanding the stiff objection to the project from the local populace.
Otherwise, consider this. The South Goa district Collector, Asvin Chandru, IAS had notified the pay parking project around November 30, notifying the areas and the survey nos, where the Tourism Department will enforce vehicular parking at Colva.
By the same notification, the district Collector further stated that the Director, Department of Tourism, will notify the pay parking fees as applicable, clearly indicating that the Tourism Department did not notify the parking fees when the Collector had notified the pay parking project.
It is clear that between December 1-8, no notification was issued by the Tourism Department prescribing the parking fees. Even when the delegation of fishermen and Colva villagers called on the Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira at the VIP chamber of the South Goa district Collectorate to oppose the pay parking project, the parking fees were not notified till that date. In fact, the Deputy Director, Tourism (South Zone) Dhiraj Vagle had told the media that though he has had a copy of the parking rates, he cannot share the copy given the information since the rates have not been notified.
Curiously, the Tourism Department seemed to have gone ahead with the notification, notifying the pay parking rates on the very same day when the delegation had called on the Environment Minister on December 8, indicating that the Tourism Department was not willing to backtrack on the issue.
Further inquiries have revealed that the Tourism Department had tendered the pay-parking earlier this year around May. The tender has been bagged by a person from Panaji.
