Police act tough on tout menace in Calangute, book 34 in special drive

THE GOAN NETWORK | JUNE 04, 2023, 12:40 AM IST

MAPUSA
Acting tough on the menace of touts along the coastal belt, Calangute Police conducted an exclusive drive and booked 34 persons engaged in touting for contravening the provisions of Tourist Trade Act, 1982 in Calangute in the last three days.

Those arrested were in the age group of 18 to 50 and came from different parts of the country.

Police have booked the touts under Section 26 of the Tourist Trade Act 1982 for the first offence.

Calangute PI Paresh Naik informed that a detailed data was being compiled of the touts so that strict action can be taken against repeat offenders.

First time offenders will be imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 while repeat offenders will be issued a fine of Rs 50,000.

“In the event of repeat offender, the details with previous offences will be placed before “Prescribed Authority” appointed by the Tourism Department for initiating appropriate action to curb the menace,” Naik informed.

Out of the 34 that have been booked, seven are from Karnataka, six from Uttar Pradesh, four from Maharashtra, three each from Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, two each from Odisha and West Bengal and one each from Delhi, Jharkhand, Haryana, Assam and Andhra Pradesh.

Among those booked two were locals.

Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte had insisted that action will be taken against the menace of touts and had maintained strict policing against the illegality along the coastal belt.

Calangute MLA Michael Lobo and village Sarpanch Joseph Sequeira had also called for action against the tout menace in Calangute.

Lobo had said that some touts were looting tourists by making false promises. He had also said that many times fights took place between tourists and the touts who fleeced them.

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