Press release: Goa
Tourism Master Plan
This interim
tourism Master Plan and Policy was put up on website www.goatourism.gov.in on 24th August 2016
Module 3
last date for comments was 4th September 2016. Objections were to be
mailed to goatourismmasterplan@gmail.com
Public was
given 16 days for comments, pretty atrocious by any standards.
Bharat Mukti Morcha objects following and
shares here for public awareness purpose:
1.
Page
15: Consider the entire State as tourism
development area. Culture of Goa is fishing and agriculture. It must be
protected from tourism at all costs.
2.
Page
23: Fishermen Market and F&B Court
at Britona, Siridao and Mobor. Captioned as Goa’s number one source of fresh
sea food.” Domestic consumers of fish to be deprived as fish will be costly and
with demands from tourism.
3.
Page
24: High End music venue paired with
luxury lifestyle resort in Baga, Calangute and Candolim Beach with biggest
clubs in India in one of these three beaches.
4.
Page
24: High end lifestyle beach club paired
with luxury lifestyle resort at Cavelossim, Palolem, Arambol, Vagathor and
Anjuna Beach with day and night atmosphere of music.
5.
Page
25: Eco-beach (Resort): Pure Eco-beach
and Eco Resorts at Querim, Mandrem, and Morjim in Pernem and Agonda, Patnem
and Palolem, Talpona and Galgibag beach. Captioned as “Built in harmony with
nature and hence with minor impact on environment.”
6.
Page 25:
Marinas in Mandovi river at Britonna, Nauxi Bay and Chicalim. Fishermen
directly affected. There is already opposition to the same from 2010.
7.
Page
31: Cultural Events, Music day and night
atmosphere. Actually there will be drinks and food. This must not be
allowed where St. Francis Xavier walked. Old Goa is a place of religious sanctity.
This must be rejected, and Religious values must not be hurt.
8.
Page
32: Goa Multicultural experience at Old
Goa Church. Has office of the Archbishop of Goa endorsed this? Or is it
another scam like Vanxim sale? For the said purpose the Archeology Survey of
India has given permission? As it is place of complete sanctify of high
religious values.
9.
Page
36: Discovery River Cruises: Chapora
River, Cumbharjua canal, Mandovi River and Zuari River. Tourism has already
caused irreversible damage to Goa’s beaches. Fishermen are to be directly
impacted through dredging as well as tourism through boat rides.
10.
Page
37: Divar island along with eastern Goa has been demarcated for “Slow Movement Wellness centres”. There
is already one such centre in Divar that releases its effluent in Mandovi river
near Vanxim. Tourism Master Plan is silent on what is to be done with such
cases. In module 2 page nos 47 & 48 in fact names this entity as Devaaya –
Ayurveda and Nature Cure Centre. Can continues daily release of effluents in
Mandovi river part of its ethics? Part of Tourism Department ethics? Daily
release of effluents gives out obnoxious odor to people around as well as staff
of Ferry services plying between Vanxim and Divar.
11.
Page
37: Nature Sanctuaries to be opened up
for tourism. This is disruption of wild life. The question about cordoning
off access to forest for tribal people and blockade to through digging of
trenches to prevent cattle grazing of tribal people has been kept under wraps.
12.
Page
42: Waterfront Promenades (dancing floors on land at water’s edge) at
Old Goa, Chapora, Panjim, Mayem lake and Colva beach. This is a must to stop as
it would cause lot of social damage to everyone especially the youth.
13.
Page
42: Family Entertainment District
inclusive of Themed Park. Entire Pernem Taluka is marked with pointer towards
proposed Mopa Airport and termed as “District”. Goa already has two districts.
Is Pernem going to be third district? Are People of Goa taken in confidence on
declaring Pernem Taluka as third district? Captioned as “A leisure and
entertainment hub for the family offering a themed park, F&B, shopping, and
accommodation.” Pernem already has Golf Course proposal in Tiracol along with
luxury hotel of Leading Hotels. Mopa airport EIA records plans for Golf Course
in Mopa itself. Luxury hotels are shown in beaches of Pernem a Querim, Mandrem,
and Morjim.
14.
Page 43: Chapora Bay and Chicalim Bay has been
proposed as Gaming districts. This
means Panjim off shore casinos will be shifted at these two venues. Two areas
will be marked exclusively for casinos and this is direct blow to fishing
allied activities.
15.
Page
43: Up-gradation of nightlife across Goa. People of Goa must be
prepared to go without sleep. Night life must be stopped completely as it is
destruction of Youth. Many Youth are hooked on drugs due to such night life
parties. Even school students are attracted to this menace.
16.
Page
44: Golf Course at Mopa. There is
already opposition to Golf Courses in Tiracol and Vanxim. Water requirement for
maintaining of Golf Course is not mentioned.
17.
Page
48: Mass Events at Vagator beach,
Candolim beach and Shyma Prasad Indoor Stadium. Are local people consulted
before making this proposal public? We object such mass events.
18.
Page
55: Mode of Transport through water is
in direct confrontation with fishermen. Cruise Terminal at MPT is mentioned as
attracting international cruise travelers. MPT is also causing harm to local
fishermen at Khariavaddo. Then Sea based inter-state transportation of tourists
is proposed at Tiracol Fort, Chapora River Basin, Fort Aguada, Dona Paula/
Panjim-Old Goa, Mormugao Port, Colva beach, Mobor Beach/ River Sal/
Cabo-de-Rama, River Talpona/ Polem. Jetties are proposed to be built in these
venues. These Jetties then can support
Ferry Services, Catamaran Ferry, Sea Buses, Speed boats and Sea Planes to ferry
tourists.
19.
Page
55: Mopa Aiport is expected to handle
13.1 million passengers by 2036 with focus on Free Independent Travellers
(FITs). Mopa airport is not needed when Dabolim serve Goa well.
20.
Page
75 of module 2 proposes State subsidy
for Hotels as well as single window clearances. It is using public funds
for public ruin. BMM opposes the same.
Goa
government tourism department believes that people of Goa are incapable to plan
their own future and needs Swiss agency to draw up the Tourism master plan and
policy for Goa. Goa is fully equipped with qualified personalities do to the
required success oriented requirements to up lift Goa’s Development as required
by Goans.
The
nomenclature used is “Tourism Master Plan” One such Tourism Master Plan was
opposed chiefly by students and youth in 1987. Now after 29 years another one
is proposed.
Who is a
master? Who is a Slave? If there is a master plan there has to somebody who is
to be enslaved. Needlessly this nomenclature of “Master Plan” does not fit. And
target of enslavement are People of Goa, Land of Goa and Ecology of Goa.
We call upon
the People of Goa to read, study & we need to move fast and decisively to object
the Tourism Master Plan 2016. It is mentioned in that it’s a draft which could
be final – So lets go for it as committed Goans, for us & our future
Generations.
Sd/-
Maggie
Silveira
President
Goa State
Unit
