MAPUSA
Those involved in cooking in open spaces or consuming liquor in the open and driving on beaches will now be punished with a fine of Rs 5,000 which may extend upto Rs 50,000 and may even face action under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code.
The Department of Tourism has issued an order declaring cooking in the open and several other activities in tourist places as “nuisance” and directed the Goa Police to crackdown on several such illegal activities in the State.
Listing out several unwanted tourism-related activities, Director of Tourism, Nikhil Desai said: “Such activities have damaged and deteriorated or are likely to damage or deteriorate the tourism potentiality of the tourist places.”
Prohibiting such activities, Desai has directed the concerned persons, companies, associations or firms not to undertake any of such activities, process or operation in the tourist places with immediate effect.
While the order states all such activities will be banned in “tourist places” there have been instances where domestic tourists have swarmed open fields indulging in cooking and other unsolicited activities.
The department’s order bans the process of cooking of food in open spaces and littering of areas while also forbidding consumption of liquor in open and breaking of glass bottles etc in tourist places.
Taking cognisance of the reports of domestic tourists who were found driving their four-wheelers on the beaches, the department has prohibited driving of unauthorised vehicles on beaches.
The department has also disallowed activities of touting/selling of cruise boat tickets/any other tickets of tourist activities in the open from places other than from the authorised ticketing counters/offices in all tourist places.
Tourism Minister Rohan Khuante had recently stressed on the nuisance of touts and the importance of holding the water sports activity in a more organised manner.
The Director of Tourism also banned begging in all tourist places and activities related to selling of items/goods from unauthorised handcarts/movable carts and unauthorised hawkers.
In order to streamline the water sports activities in the State, the tourism department has said the operation of all boating/water sports activities will be permitted within the demarcated zones notified by the department and any such activity that is organised in unnotified areas will invite penal action.
The department has also put curbs on activities related to un-authorized selling of water sports tickets/packages to tourists for services to be offered outside Goa in places like Malvan/Karwar etc.
