Goa: Controversy Erupts Over Calangute Panchayat’s Tourism Regulations
Panaji, 6th June 2024: The sarpanch of Calangute, Joseph Sequeira, announced plans to implement strict measures to regulate tourism in the village. These measures include setting up checkposts at entry points to prevent tourists without hotel bookings from entering the area. Additionally, starting from October, the panchayat intends to deploy a minibus to patrol the village, targeting touts and pimps, and handing them over to the police.
Sequeira highlighted concerns about certain low-budget tourists who spend their days consuming alcohol in Calangute and leave in the evening. He expressed dismay over reports of unsuspecting tourists being deceived by pimps into visiting questionable establishments like dance bars.
However, a tourism department official criticized the decision of the Calangute panchayat, labeling it as “unlawful.” The official pointed out that neither the Calangute panchayat nor any other panchayat in the state possesses the authority to implement such stringent measures. According to the official, the police can only conduct vehicle checks if there is a valid reason to do so.
