Goa minister must say sorry for remark: AAP
■ Minister said domestic tourists ‘ scum’
Panaji, Feb. 10: The Aam Aadmi Party in Goa on Saturday demanded an apology from Goa minister Vijai Sardesai for calling domestic tourists “scum”.
The party said that the minister’s outburst was derogatory, abusive, disgraceful and indignified.
“The word scum is unacceptable coming from a minister against fellow Indians and generalising all domestic tourists,” said Pradip Padgaonkar, general secretary of the Goa unit of AAP.
He said that the word was the last one that could be used against fellow Indians, and the party demanded an apology from Mr Sardesai.
He added, “His making cultural segregations and commenting on the quality of the guest only defines his outdated classist mindset.”
“The government’s inability to govern and therein provide facilities and systems for visiting tourists is not a reason to blame the visitor. Popular tourist destinations across the globe do not distinguish between visitors but provide necessary infrastructure to manange the influx,” Mr Padgaonkar said.
He said that while the state government made high decibel announcements feudal, on attracting “high spending” tourists to the state, the move had led to the curtailing of overall arrivals. He added that the state was now getting tourists who were out on a shoestring budget.
“This is due to the sheer lack of political will to change things in Goa. This is the reason for the tourism industry to go down the drain,” he said.
“The tourism industry is not marred by domestic tourists but by drug- trafficking, prostitution, gambling dens, illegal constructions and the like, all with the blessings and patronage of our politicians,” he alleged.
He said that the state was plagued with infrastructure woes and the garbage disposal mechanism was in shambles. or assets jurisdiction.
“The department has asked all nodal officers to submit a monthly report on the steps taken along with detail of property of the department will be furnished by every 7th of the following month to the chief engineer,” the official also said.
The official said if there is encroachment on properties under the jurisdiction of nodal officers concerned, action would be taken against him or her.
According to the department, the nodal officer will ensure that the government’s properties under his or her jurisdiction are properly maintained, upkeep and protected from encroachment