Panaji, Jul 21 (IANS): Aleixo Sequeira, MLA of Nuvem in South Goa, on Wednesday said that the Central government should make the UK eligible for e-visa and also bring fees of visa on par to other countries.

Congress MLA Sequeira, speaking in the assembly session, said the Central government has initiated an excellent system wherein seated abroad, one can apply for e-visa.

"But for the reasons best known to them, the UK has been, after Covid, excluded from the system. Today, a person coming from the UK would like to visit Goa, but has to wait for four to six weeks to get a visa approved, while people coming from other countries can get their visas sanctioned in a short period of three to four days," he said.

"I know it is not within your (state government) purview, but I believe that you will have to take it up with the government of India," Sequeira said.

He said that tourists coming from the UK have to pay 149 pounds, which may be around $175, but someone who comes under e-visa pays a smaller amount like $25. "UK is the large market for tourism for Goa. Hence, the government has to look into this and should bring these fees at par with other countries," he said.

Earlier, the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) had urged Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to convince the Central government to include the UK, Canada, Kyrgyzstan and other nations for issuance of e-visas.

According to the TTAG, before Covid pandemic, around 40-50,000, UK nationals used to travel to Goa by charter flights, and also, there was a good number of tourists coming by scheduled flights.