the goan I network
MARGAO
Is the traffic sentinel scheme a success? Why not the Tourism department work a scheme on the lines of traffic sentinel to rein in the violations on the beach belt, including illegal and unauthorised beach beds and umbrellas?
Tourism officials on Thursday encountered this strange question from none other than South Goa District Collector, Anjali Sehrawat when the stakeholders were deliberating on the safety and security along the beach belt and to keep violations at bay.
That’s not all. The district Collector sought to know from a Tourism official why the Tourism department does not seek report from the local panchayat confirming that the beach cleaning contractor is carrying out the beach cleaning as per the laid down conditions.
Moreover, the Collector demanded to know from the tourism officials why sound permission is not obtained by the department from the District Magistrate for beach weddings and other programmes on the beach, while stressing on the need for systemic changes on the beach belt.
“When the violators on the beach belt are smarter than you, the government should work 24x7. A traffic scheme on the lines of traffic sentinel can be worked out wherein people are authorised to upload the violations for the department to act,” the Collector said.
The Collector made the suggestion after an Assistant Tourism director pointed out that beach beds come close to the shore after 6 pm when the officials are off duty. “The beach shacks are authorised to erect the beach beds only five meters from the shack area. But, they erect the beach beds close to the water after 6 pm when tourism officials are off duty,” the tourism official remarked, while saying that the department confiscates the beach beds.
Incidentally, the tourism official said the recommendation mooted by the Collector can be implemented if it is incorporated in the shack policy.
On beach weddings, the Collector sought to know why sound permission is not obtained from the District Magistrate if NOC is taken from the CRZ and the Tourism department. “I was going through the records and came across a startling fact that no sound permission for beach weddings and other programmes on the beach is obtained from the District Magistrate,” she added.
On beach cleaning, the Collector sought to know why the Tourism department does not insist on the contractor to seek report from the panchayat on the cleanliness from the beach. This question came to the fore when the two panchayats of Majorda and Betalbatim pointed out while the beach cleaning contractor concentrates on the beach, the approach area to the beach or the sand dunes remains neglected by the contractor.
