Tourist alleges parking racket, Calangute panchayat files police complaint

Calangute: The Calangute village panchayat has filed a police complaint after two similar videos alleging an extortion racket over violations in no-parking zones at Calangute went viral over the last two days.Sarpanch Joseph Sequeira said that the allegations in the videos made by a domestic tourist about extortion by the pay-parking operators at Calangute refer to the tourism department’s pay-parking zone at Calangute beach and Baga. He added that the videos were a pre-planned attempt by some vested elements to defame Calangute panchayat.He said the problem would not have occurred if the tourism department had handed over the pay-parking zones to the Calangute panchayat instead.

However, tourists tend to park anywhere they want, he said, which affects others.“There are designated parking areas, but tourists park anywhere they want. Besides tourists, there are owners of rental vehicles, shopkeepers and others who also park along the roads. The fine for parking in a no-parking zone is Rs 500 and the towing charge is Rs 300, for which a receipt is issued. Four-wheelers are clamped,” the sarpanch said.“If anybody has any complaints about overcharging or other issues, they can approach the panchayat or traffic police,” Sequeira said. There are two towing vehicles in operation with a contractor appointed by the panchayat, he said.