Calangute: Days after more than 50 beach shacks and private beachside restaurants were served notices to pay a fine of Rs 25,000 for encroaching on the beach beyond the area demarcated for them, the police on Thursday directed watersports operators and beach shacks in the Calangute-Candolim beach area to ensure that all their staff wear identity cards and identical t-shirts or uniforms.
The action comes after social media influencers recently highlighted several unsavoury incidents involving tourism stakeholders and tourists in the area.
In a meeting on Thursday with watersports and beach shack operators at Baga, Porvorim sub-divisional police officer Vishwesh Karpe said, “Tourists visiting Goa should go back with good memories.” Many other senior police officers were also present during the meeting. “We informed them about the dos and don’ts. They’ve been informed about the necessity of installing CCTV cameras,” Karpe said.
“Loud music has to stop at 10pm. There is no compromise on that. Also, whenever a guest gets drunk and creates a nuisance, police should be immediately informed,” he said. Referring to the recent incident of a boat overturning at Baga, he said, the watersports operators should avoid overloading the boats. Also, tourists should not be overcharged, he said.
About the menace of touts and pimps, he said they’ve apprehended more than 150 people since the beginning of Oct. “It’s a continuous process. More will be caught. The police presence will be there throughout. We’ve deployed the maximum possible police in Calangute-Candolim. Every night police patrolling is going on,” Karpe said, adding that nobody should take the law into their hands.
John Lobo, general secretary of the Shack Owners Welfare Society, said the police must act against mobile vendors selling all kinds of edibles.
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