Goa govt to enforce uniform rates, crack down on illegal watersports activities: Minister
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Panaji (PTI): Goa Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte has said the government will implement uniform rates, standardised kiosks, and stricter enforcement to streamline watersports operations in coastal areas to provide the best possible experience to tourists in the state.
After chairing a meeting with stakeholders concerning the tourism industry on Wednesday, he said watersports activities have been a traditional source of livelihood for Goans.
“With time, we must ensure that regulations and transparency are maintained to provide the best possible experience for tourists,” he said.
The minister said the state has notified the rates proposed by watersports associations in an official gazette.
“Uniform rates for watersports across Goa from North to South have been finalised and will be implemented by all associations to ensure consistency,” he said, adding that the move will prevent overcharging and bring parity across beaches.
Khaunte said the government will clamp down on the illegal sale of watersports packages by unregistered travel agencies.
“The Tourism Department, in coordination with local panchayats and the watersports associations, will enforce strict measures to curb this activity without inconveniencing tourists,” he said.
He said some travel agencies were luring tourists away by selling tickets for watersports in neighbouring states, which has been classified as a nuisance under The Goa Tourist Places (Protection and Maintenance) (Amendment) Bill, tabled in the assembly in July this year.
The tourism department will integrate and promote the official portal of the watersports operators on the Goa Tourism website to raise awareness and ensure visitors have access to authentic information, he said.
To bring uniformity and credibility to authorised operators, Khaunte said kiosks offering watersports will soon sport a standard design across beaches.
“Whether one visits a beach in North or South Goa, the kiosks will have a standard look and feel, making them easily identifiable as official watersports kiosks,” he said.
He said that watersports associations have agreed to issue ID cards to their staff to curb touting. “This initiative is welcome, provided that proper data sharing with the Department of Tourism takes place after police verification,” he said.
The minister said the Captain of Ports has been instructed not to grant permissions for tourism activities during the monsoon ban period to protect marine biodiversity.
The meeting also discussed coordination between departments and stakeholders to ensure smoother operations and better safety protocols, he added.
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Man shoots woman dead, hangs self in UP’s Baghpat over unrequited love
Baghpat (UP) (PTI): A 20-year-old woman was shot dead by a man who later committed suicide in an apparent case of unrequited love in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat on Thursday, police said.
The incident took place in Mahavatpur Bawli village in the Badaut area, where the accused, Satnam, 22, allegedly shot the woman before hanging himself from a tree, they said.
Superintendent of Police, Suraj Kumar Rai, said preliminary findings suggest the incident was linked to unrequited love, adding that all aspects of the case are being probed.
According to police, the deceased woman, Guddan, daughter of Lakhmi Saini, worked as a tailor from her home.
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Satnam, a resident of the same village, had allegedly been in one-sided love with her for a long time and was pressuring her to marry him.
Police said that around 10.30 am, Guddan stepped out of her house to buy some items when Satnam, who was already waiting in a back lane, stopped her.
An argument ensued, following which he allegedly shot her in the head with a country-made pistol.
The woman collapsed on the spot with serious injuries.
The accused then went back to his house and committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree, police said.
Upon receiving information, police rushed to the spot and took the injured woman to a community health centre, where doctors declared her dead.
A forensic team recovered the weapon used in the crime from the scene, they added.
Police have sent both bodies for post-mortem and initiated an investigation, they said.
