Only 'good tourists' welcome to Goa: Tourism Minister
Panaji, July 17 : Goa Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar on Tuesday urged tourists not to misbehave with women under the influence of alcohol while welcoming the Chief Minister's announcement of fines for drinking and littering in public.
Ajgaonkar also said that only those disciplined "good tourists" were welcome in Goa, who were willing to preserve the state's culture, natural beauty and the spirit of Goanness.
"We urge people and tourists to not misbehave with any girl or woman. Because our Goa is famous all over India and the world. People come here to see our culture and our natural beauty. Goa's discipline, culture and Goenkarponn (Goanness) should be preserved. There will be no compromise on anyone who is drunk and misbehaves," Ajgaonkar told reporters here.
On Monday, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar announced that from August 15 onwards, those who drink alcohol in public would be fined Rs 2,500. Littering would also face steep fines, he said, adding that a notification would be issued shortly.
Ajgaonkar said the Rs 2,500 fine was less and should be hiked considerably.
"They should be fined as much as possible. We want good tourists, those who follow Goa's discipline and culture and Goenkarponn," he said.
Asked if the fine would deter tourists from visiting Goa, a state which has a liberal and a low excise regime on alcohol, Ajgaonkar said: "There is no question of it affecting tourists."
Goa is one of the top beach and nightlife tourism destinations in the country and attracts more than six million tourists every year.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
