PANAJI
Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte’s allegation of police ineffectiveness against illegal touts has not gone down well with the police who countered him claiming they are actively cracking down on the menace.
Upset over police's alleged inaction over thriving illegal business in Calangute, Khaunte has come down heavily on the men-in-khaki calling the Calangute police station ‘defunct’ .
In response to his allegation, Superintendent of Police (North Goa) Nidhin Valsan claimed that they have been actively clamping down on the nuisance making touts and hawkers with 100 cases booked in this coastal stretch alone within the first three months of this year.
“Last year, the Calangute police booked 400 cases against the touts and this year, from January to March, the total cases are 100,” he said.
The officer also maintained that the tourism department too has powers to act against touts even as he proposed the two departments to work in tandem against the menace. Valsan further said that he will meet the tourism officials to jointly work against the illegality in the beach belt.
"We have launched this drive in the entire coastal belt. It’s a concerted effort by local police coastal police and tourist police," the IPS officer later said while speaking to The Goan.
On Wednesday 12 persons were booked under the Tourist Trade Act and on Tuesday, the Calangute police booked three persons under the Tourist Trade Act while 25 persons were detained under the preventive measure.
Khaunte has spoken about strengthening the tourism laws giving the tourism department more powers to depend less on the police pertaining to the current issue. He also sought intervention of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
