Tourists becoming a ‘nuisance’, Goa’s Calangute panchayat has a proposal: ‘No entry without hotel reservation’

The Calangute beach, which comes under the panchayat, sees considerable tourist footfall.

According to Calangute sarpanch Joseph Sequeira, the decision has been taken after some recent incidents of tourists creating ruckus and “indulging in illegal activities that bring disrepute to the village”. Prostitution and touting have become a matter of concern for the village, he said.

“These tourists…groups of 10 people packed in one jeep…come here for a day. They enjoy themselves on the beach, get drunk and throw garbage everywhere. They indulge in illegal activities. When they get caught, they blame the village. We have decided that tourists should have a prior reservation when they enter the village,” he said, adding that this will act as a deterrent.

The panchayat’s proposed resolution comes days after two nightclub employees in Calangute were arrested for allegedly extorting money from a tourist. In his complaint, the tourist from Gujarat alleged that the suspects had “lured him” him into the nightclub by promising an introduction to a woman and then demanded money.

District authorities eventually sealed the club.

Earlier this year, the Calangute village panchayat had decided to recruit bouncers to help take action against “touts” operating in the vicinity of the beach.

Sequeira believes these actions become necessary in light of security concerns in the area.

“Over 80 percent of guest houses in Calangute have been rented to people from outside Goa. Often, the owner is not aware of what is happening on the premises of these guest houses, whether a spa is operating illegally or it is being used for immoral trafficking. If you go abroad, at the airport they ask where you are staying. In some cities, passengers are liable to pay a tax on entry of every

vehicle…and they have managed to curb such incidents,” he said.

According to the sarpanch, the draft resolution will now be sent to the deputy collector and further steps shall only be taken if it is approved by the higher authorities.

“It will not happen overnight. Actually, this has to be done by the state government, not the panchayat. But we have made a decision,” he said.

However, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo said bringing in such a resolution would be unconstitutional.

“One cannot put a ban on entry or movement of tourists anywhere. If anything illegal is occurring, the law enforcement agencies should be informed. I can understand that residents become upset when some tourists cause nuisance, particularly after drinking, but such a resolution cannot be imposed,” he said.

He added: “The panchayat can impose stringent fines for littering or demarcate an area for tourist parking if that is a concern”.