A day after Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar announced that people in the state who drink in public places and litter would soon have to pay a hefty fine, state Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar said on Tuesday that only disciplined, “good tourists” were welcome in the coastal state, IANS reported.
While welcoming Parrikar’s announcement, Ajgaonkar also warned tourists against misbehaving with women. He said good tourists believe in preserving the state’s culture, natural beauty and the spirit of “Goenkarponn [Goanness]”. “Our Goa is famous all over India and the world,” he told reporters. “People come here to see our culture and our natural beauty. There will be no compromise on anyone who is drunk and misbehaves.”
Ajgaonkar had made a similar statement in February, claiming he would “chase away” tourists who do not care about “Goan culture and Goanness”.
On Monday, Parrikar said anyone found drinking alcohol on beaches and public areas would be fined Rs 2,500 from August 15. Steep fines would also be imposed on those found littering these places, he added.
Controversial statements
In February, the state’s Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai stirred a controversy by calling domestic tourists “scum of the earth”. Sardesai, who is the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s ally Goa Forward Party, also claimed that north Indian tourists were trying to “create a Haryana in Goa”.
Days later, Parrikar defended Sardesai’s statement by describing it as “harsh, but not logically wrong”. Parrikar had also stirred controversy by saying that he is worried because now “even girls have started drinking beer”.
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