MARGAO
Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas and Cavelossim Sarpanch Dixon Vaz have asserted that the government should stop acting in haste to digitalise the tourism activities, insisting the government take the stakeholders into confidence before taking any decision.
Rallying behind the beleaguered water sports operators in his constituency, the duo urged Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte to see reason and keep the decision to bring in GEL on hold for the moment.
MLA Venzy said delegation of water sports operators would call on the Tourism Minister and the Director to discuss the issue in the New Year and to clear the misunderstandings.
“If the government wants to digitalise the water sports queue system, they should have taken the stakeholders into confidence. The High Court has not given any directions to bring in GEL in the picture,” he said, while asserting that the manual queue system should be followed till the current tourism season.
Cavelossim Sarpanch Dixon Vaz pointed out that the panchayat was not taken into confidence by the Tourism Department before installing the makeshift counter manned by GEL on the beach. “This does not augur well for tourism in the State of Goa. Already, stakeholders from South Goa are worried a lot what fate awaits them after the commissioning of Mopa. Bringing in GEL will only aggravate matters for the stakeholders from South Goa,” Dixon added.
