Will shut nightclubs not having nods: CM

Panaji: Ahead of the peak tourist season, chief minister Pramod Sawant said on Wednesday that businesses related to the tourism sector that do not have all necessary permissions, including on fire safety, would be shut.

“We will close restaurants and other businesses that do not have permissions and fire safety measures in place. The tourism season will continue. We welcome tourists to Goa, and we are working on the safety and security of tourists. We have also directed the fire department to inspect the casinos,” he said.


Sawant held a tourism stakeholder meeting at the ministerial block in Porvorim on Wednesday. He said that Rs 84 lakh has been provided to the families of those deceased in the fire incident.

“We have constituted a joint inspection and monitoring committee that will visit nightclubs, and complete a report within seven days. The report will be submitted to the home department, and the collector will take action,” he said.

Sawant also said that action would be initiated against all those causing trouble in the tourism sector ahead of the peak season. “We have told stakeholders that if there are any issues, they should not take the law into their own hands, but report the matter to police instead,” said Sawant.

Regarding rent-a-car and rent-a-bike operators, Sawant said that anyone involved in illegalities would face strict action, and that their licences would be cancelled.

He also said that hotels should conduct police verification before employing staff. The chief minister noted that it has often been observed that some people who are recruited in the tourism sector, commit crimes and flee the state, making it difficult to trace them as no police verification of their antecedents is conducted.

Sawant urged tourists to behave properly and listen to lifeguards on beaches to avoid any untoward incidents.

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