Tourists ‘come in jeeps, drink alcohol, litter’, so Goa’s Calangute panchayat resolves to tax them

According to the panchayat, the decision has been taken after several complaints about tourists creating ruckus and “indulging in illegal activities which bring disrepute to the village”.

“Tourists come in groups in jeeps and buses, stroll around the beach area and drink alcohol and cook in their vehicles, before littering in the open in the village. They do not make any hotel reservations. Now, we have proposed to set up checkpoints for verification and to charge a road passenger tax or an entry fee to deter such behaviour,” Joseph Sequeira, sarpanch of Calangute village who proposed the resolution, said.

The modalities of the tax will be discussed later if it is approved, he said, adding: “If it can be done in Mahabaleshwar, it can also be done here”.

‘Tourists drink alcohol, throw bottles and garbage everywhere’

According to the panchayat, the resolution was adopted at a June 7 meeting held to discuss issues related to “public nuisance, garbage throwing, parking, cooking and eating in the open area on the roadside leading to different hotels and restaurants by tourists visiting the Calangute beach and other areas in their vehicles (jeeps, buses)”.

“It is resolved to impose such taxes in the village panchayat Calangute. The Calangute beach is famous across the world and the panchayat is taking all the required steps to keep the area clean,” the resolution said.

The panchayat has identified five points from where the tourists’ vehicles enter the panchayat area — the Calangute-Saligao boundary near the petrol pump, Calangute-Arpora boundary near a resort, near Fat Fish restaurant Agar Vaddo, at Baga beach riverside restaurant and at the boundary of Calangute-Candolim panchayat.

“The members stated that many tourists go on the beach, spend the whole day and use public toilets and park their vehicles in the parking place or in the open area. They drink alcohol and throw bottles and garbage anywhere and go away. Hence, the panchayat resolved to identify such places to identify these tourists and to request police for immediate necessary action to stop such activities,” the resolution said, adding that tourists should not use the panchayat road or open area “and throw garbage or bottles in the panchayat area”.