PANJIM: A House committee headed by the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat was announced on Wednesday for deciding on all major projects related to state tourism, in the future. Coming out with this information during the Question Hour, the Tourism Minister, Mr Nilkanth Halarnkar said that all the political parties in the House would get representation on this panel, and there will be special budgetary provision for such projects as decided by the high-powered committee.
The committee will also include Tourism Minister, leader of the opposition, secretary for tourism, director of tourism and representatives of various parties as its members.
The announcement was made after the Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Saligao constituency, Mr Dilip Parulekar raised question over various ‘in-the-pipeline’ projects of the department of tourism, to be completed through public private partnership model. These projects include development of Goa Tourism Development Corporation properties located at Baga and Britona, and further comprise of setting up of three five-star hotels at Baga, Britona and Colva.
Speaking further, the Tourism Minister informed the House that a PPP appraisal committee headed by the Chief Secretary has approved development of GTDC properties under the PPP mode in the first phase. "In addition, the board of directors of the GTDC have recommended development of properties located at Kesarval, Mayem lake and Vasco residency in the second phase, and approval of the PPP appraisal committee is awaited," he added, maintaining that in competitive times when states like Kerala and countries like Sri Lanka are trying to take over Goa’s share of tourism, such projects would put Goa in a better position to take up the challenges.
The Saligao MLA, taking strong objection to the construction of a five-star hotel on 52,006 sq mt of land at Baga as acquired by the department of tourism in 1976, said that tourism spots like Baga are pressed for parking facilities as well as toilets/ wash rooms/ changing rooms for tourists, and department of tourism can use its vacant spaces to provide the same.
Supporting the suggestion by the opposition MLA, the Tourism Minister assured the House that he would keep pending the PPP projects conceptualised by his department, and the high-powered committee headed by the Chief Minister would henceforth take such decisions.
The Aldona MLA, Mr Dayanand Narvekar strongly condemned the stand of the government in ignoring the local MLAs while initiating tourism projects. "I was not consulted during the government decision to shift the off-shore casinos near Britona, neither was I asked my opinion when the government proposed to develop the Britona riverside into a mini marina," he stated, demanding that none of the PPP projects of the department of tourism should be initiated in the assembly election year.
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