from Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji (GA)

Panaji, Aug 29: A beggar arriving at the beach in a taxi flashing two mobile phones and later changing his skin to get into his regular business of begging may be a character representing any comedy movie.

But the state legislative assembly legislator Angelo Fernandes, representing coastal Calangute constituency, brought to the notice of the house that such characters do exists in the tourism belt and create nuisance for the tourists.

"There is a person who comes in a taxi next to my hotel. He carries two mobiles. But after some time, he changes his attire and starts begging on the beach," Fernandes told the assembly session on Friday August 29 morning.

The issue figured during the ongoing state legislative assembly session's zero hour when opposition benches criticized the state tourism department for their apathy towards controlling the increasing beggars and illegal vendors on the coastal belt.

"These people are creating nuisance for the tourists," speaker Pratpsingh Rane himself commented during the discussion.

The state tourism minister Fransisco Pacheco, who found himself at the receiving end, said that it is becoming difficult for the department to control such nuisance in the absence of coordination from the home ministry.

The minister pointed out that the tourist police are not under the tourism department's control and instead report to the director general of police.

He said that the private security can be employed to crack down on the nuisance so that the tourists can enjoy hassle free holiday in Goa.

Leader of opposition, Manohar Parrikar, said that the in-charge of tourist police should be asked to report to the director of tourism and not to the director general of police.