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Porvorim: Tourism minister Rohan Khaunte on Tuesday said that state govt will act against those youths and tourists who harass international tourists on beaches by taking selfies with them.
“We took cognisance of the matter raised by the member and we are in tune to act on this,” Khaunte said.Khaunte said that, due to social media, youths who come to the state as tourists are under the impression that in Goa “kuch bi chalta hai”, and govt is clear that “kuch bi nai chalega.”Khaunte said that a new trend emerged among the youth who visit beaches, take selfies with foreigners, and trouble them. “I discussed this matter with the chief minister, and steps are being taken to strengthen enforcement, including deploying additional police personnel on beaches through the tourism police unit (TPU) in coordination with respective police stations,” he said.
Khaunte said that continuous action and arrests are being made where necessary. Goa’s name cannot be spoilt because of such behaviour.“We also asked the TPU and the CM to increase the number of women constables to further strengthen safety and security monitoring,” Khaunte said.Mormugao MLA Sankalp Amonkar, in his zero-hour mention, said that the attention of the House was drawn to the matter of urgent public importance concerning the safety and dignity of women tourists visiting the state.
“In recent times, there was a noticeable incident where women tourists reportedly faced harassment, particularly in beach areas and other popular tourist locations. Such incidents are deeply concerning and risk tarnishing the image of Goa as a safe, welcoming, and world-class tourism destination,” Amonkar said.The MLA said that tourism is the backbone of Goa’s economy, and the safety of every visitor, especially women, must remain a top priority. “This can create a perception of insecurity that may adversely affect the confidence of tourists and, in turn, the livelihood of thousands of Goans who depend on tourism.,” Amonkar said.
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