Tourism Policy 2018 not only replete with anomalies, but also anti-Goa: Reginaldo

the goan I network

MARGAO

Saying that the Tourism  Master Plan 2018 and Tourism Policy 2018 is not only replete with  anomalies, but is also anti-Goa and Goemkars, Congress MLA Reginaldo  Lourenco on Thursday said he has requested Tourism Minister Babu  Ajgaonkar to get the consultant to re-draft the report after conducting a  detailed and proper survey.

He further demanded that the report  should be placed before all the stakeholders, including gram sabhas of  all the village panchayats, all Municipal bodies, political  representatives, civil society activists, indigenous and rural  communities before sending the modified draft to all the 40 MLAs for a  discussion.

Addressing the media on Thursday, Reginaldo demanded to  know the need to rope in a foreign consultant to prepare an important  plant and that too without any discussions with the 

vital bodies and the  people of Goa. 

“The credibility of the source of data procured by the  consultant is questionable. The report is silent on the exact  income/revenue generated by the Tourism industry in Goa and how much of  its percolates to local Goans. There was no assessment of the  socio-economic and socio-cultural impact of the master 

plan/policy. And,  there was no assessment of environmental impact of the tourism  development proposals”, Reginaldo told the media.

Saying that the draft  master plan/policy report enables privatisation of Goa Tourism Development Corporation’s assets,  Reginaldo said this is condemnable in every respect, while calling for  the reconsideration of the setting up of a so-called autonomous Goa  Tourism 

Board.

Referring to the report on the relocation of offshore  casinos to a more appropriate location, taking the opportunity to create  an internal gaming cluster, Reginaldo said “sad, promoting casinos all  round and now proposed casinos towns has become alpha and omega for Goa  Tourism. It seems casinos are the lifelines 

of Tourism department of the  state”, and demanding to know why does Goa need casinos when it is  blessed with natural wonders, 

heritage sites, cultural 

beauty etc.