Water sports permitted to start from Sep 15

Panaji: Tourism minister Rohan Khaunte has allowed water sports activities such as jet ski rides, banana boat rides, parasailing, and kayaking to commence from Sep 15, subject to favourable sea and weather conditions. He assured operators that all permissions would be streamlined to avoid delays that previously cost them business.Khaunte met members of the South Goa Water Sports Association and the North Goa Water Sports Association to convey the decision. “Subject to weather conditions, I have asked them to start by Sep 15, just as the shacks have been allowed to start before the season begins. Earlier, tourists would sit in shacks because water sports had not started. We want both shacks and water sports ready before (tourist) arrivals so Goans depending on tourism can earn in a regulated manner, following the court-mandated queue system,” he said.Fisherman and water sports operator Francis Fernandes said, “No tourism minister has called us to help us start water sports so early in the year. Earlier we wasted a month running from one department to another for permissions. This time, the minister assured us that traditional businesses run by Goans will remain with Goans.”Khaunte also indicated that govt is examining the status of 22–23 shacks where payments were traced to relatives or cousins. “We have received representations from coastal MLAs Jit Arolkar and Michael Lobo. A decision will be taken soon on cases where Goans have sublet to other Goans. But there will be no leniency for those who sublet to non-Goans,” he warned.The minister said the state is committed to ensuring that tourism-related livelihoods remain with locals while making the sector more organised and transparent.