This year Christmas celebrations have had a subdued look and are at a low ebb. Goa is devoid of the usual cheer and merriment. Repeated accidents have created a dent and deterred people to indulge in a full blown out merrymaking. Dual controls of noise pollution and cut off time limitation for bands at 10 pm, with no relaxations have discouraged many from indulging in a 100% merriment. The state loses out on GDP for such harsh controls which otherwise would have drawn bigger crowds with hard cash and allowed economic sectors to flourish. Another setback is the ongoing drama of alcometers lining up bars, taverns and wedding halls. GDP in excess of 50% is targeted which the state is bound to lose in the bargain. Immediate relaxation of these draconian measures is needed. Let tourism thrive and flourish to hit new horizons so that the GDP grows upwards and not be constrained to dismal lower levels. Inter-state arrivals are crucial to shore up the debt-riddled economy giving it a boost in transactions credit to the economy. Coronavirus spikes in recent days has also put a dampener on the festivities.
