MARGAO
Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai has demanded that the management of all jetties and vessels must vest with the Captain of Ports and not with the Tourism department.
The Goa Forward Party president submitted a list of objections and suggestions to the jetty policy 2022 prepared by the Goa Tourism Development Corporation.
The primary objection lodged by the Goa Forward to the policy is that it violates the Goa Tourism Policy 2022 which was notified earlier this year and that the policy does not focus on creating employment for Goans.
According to the Goa Tourism Policy, all sector-specific policies related to tourism have to be formulated by the Goa Tourism Board, said Sardesai.
"In the case of the jetty policy 2022, Goa Tourism Development Corporation had drafted it. The role of GTDC as defined in the Goa Tourism Policy is limited to the development and management of tourism infrastructure, marketing and promotion activities, and development of new tourism products in Goa,” he added.
In the jetty policy, Sardesai said there is no provision to ensure employment for Goans or any mention of preference for them for operating jetties or cruise vessels.
He stated that there is a strong apprehension among stakeholders that the policy is meant to allow certain private companies to set up jetties in the State.
Sardesai demanded that 80 per cent of jobs under this policy be reserved for Goans and that Goan entrepreneurs be given preference while awarding contracts and tenders for the jetty and cruise vessel operations.
He objected to the formation of the Jetty Management Committee and stated that the management of all jetties and vessels must vest with the Captain of Ports and not the Tourism Department.
Sardesai has also objected to a clause that a NOC from the Jetty Management Committee is required for the registration of cruise vessels by the Captain of Ports. Terming this clause as an extreme form of licence raj, he stated that such a process will open up the scope for corruption.
“The jetty policy 2022 as it stands now will have serious, long-term negative consequences on Goa’s tourism industry, and it needs to be scrapped immediately,” Sardesai added.
