THE GOAN NETWORK
MAPUSA
Calangute Sarpanch Joseph Sequeira acknowledged on Sunday that the menace of touts and other unscrupulous activities continued in the beach village.
“The government is ours. I am a BJP member. But I am shocked the way the touts are operating at times changing their identity. It’s very painful...,” Sequeira said.
His statement came after locals raised concerns over the unregulated operations of touts and spas, which they allege are openly flouting legal guidelines.
He also claimed that the police were colluding with the operators, as touts were always tipped off whenever a raid was planned.
“We have a very good Police Inspector. But the beat police are the ones who does the mischief,” he said.
To another query of a villager, Sequeira said that his party was doing a lot of development work in the village and in the State.
“My party is a very good party. It’s doing a lot of development. There are differences but we are doing development work,” he said.
Expressing frustration, villagers stated that the unchecked operations of touts, bouncers and other activities are compromising community safety and values.
Residents urged the village panchayat to intensify efforts to shut down the illegal businesses and restore order.
A villager Agostinho pointed out that the touts who now address themselves as guides were deceiving the tourists and even are a threat to the locals.
Local resident Clotildes Braganza said that the bouncers were blocking footpaths which are meant for the public to walk and demanded action against such elements.
The sarpanch blamed the Tourism Department for failing to take action against the illegalities that are happening in the coastal belt.
The call for action highlights the community’s urgency for stricter enforcement and a resolution to the ongoing issue, which they believe has become a significant threat to Calangute’s local values and social environment.
