MAPUSA
After coming under attack from the Opposition political parties and civil groups, the Tourism Department has asked local self-governing bodies to place the Draft Jetty Policy 2022 before the gram sabhas and council meetings for discussion even as it has yet again extended the time limit for submission of comments from the public to the draft policy by another 15 days up to October 31.
Director of Tourism Nikhil Desai in a public notice has asked the village panchayats, municipal councils and municipal corporations to download the Draft Jetty Policy 2022 from the website www.goatourism.gov.in and place it before the gram sabhas/council meetings for discussion.
He said the government has further extended the time limit for submission of suggestions/comments/objections from the general public on the draft jetty policy till October 31.
“Any suggestions/comments on the draft policy may be submitted to this department to decide on the matter. A version of the draft jetty policy in Konkani and Marathi languages is also being uploaded on the official website,” Desai said.
“Objections /views/suggestions may be sent to [email protected] within five hundred words on or before October 31,” he added.
The State Tourism Department had called for public views on the draft jetty policy on September 13 and gave people 15 day to put forth their views. Subsequently, after facing flak from the public the time limit was extended by another 15 days which was coming to end on October 15.
The Tourism Department had said the exercise to invite public views was mainly to formulate a “Jetty Policy 2022” ostensibly to conduct cruise tourism activities in the State.
The Director of Tourism said the State government had plans to implement a jetty policy in order to harness the potential of the Goan waters for tourism.
