The big threat to tourists on Goan beaches are canine terrorists. There have been dozens of cases of even fatal dog attacks on domestic and foreign tourists. The Tourism department has served several red alerts but dogs attack and bite without warning day or night. Goa of course has to remain alert to larger threats from terrorists across the border from Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack…
MICHAEL LOBO V\S ROHAN KHAUNTE
THE Calangute MLA Michael Lobo seems to have declared war against Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte. Michael Lobo is insisting that the tourist traffic to Goa has fallen by 50%. Michael claims that occupancy in five-star hotels is less than 40%.
Michael is talking about the disastrous drop in charter tourism to Covid19 pandemic levels. The number of charters to Goa may have dropped but this has been made up by the increase in domestic tourism. The state tourism stakeholders have not been willing to accept a change in the pattern of tourism.
The absence of foreign tourists is made up for by Goa becoming a favorite destination of high-net-worth domestic tourists. Surge pricing is the major problem. When the demand goes up, the prices should come down. In the case of Goa, when the demand peaks over long weekends, the price of everything goes up from airline fares to the cost of rooms, and of course, tourist taxi prices.
BIG PROPERTY FRAUD
A NUMBER of properties, particularly in tourist villages, have been illegally acquired through forgery, cheating and grabbing of immovable properties. It may be recalled that the police filed multiple cases against Rohan Harmalkar, who had contested the Divar election in 2002. The enforcement director has reportedly seized Rs600 crore of property illegally grabbed by him.
Harmalkar used to target abandoned properties where there were no heirs or the owners have migrated abroad. Documents were forged, and the properties were registered in Harmalkar’s name. They were subsequently sold to parties outside Goa.
So far, the Goa police have attached 24 properties that have been sold to third parties through fraudulent sale deeds. Most of these properties are located in the Bardez beach belt. If you own property, you must check whether it has been illegally transferred, as cases of fraud are increasing.
BONDLA ZOO IS STILL CLOSED
THE Bondla zoo, which was shut down after the death of some wild cats, may take more time to reopen. The death of the wild cat have been attributed to a virus. The staff of the zoo are being tested to ensure that they are free from the infection. The Forest Department is also waiting for the results of the second batch of tests.
The only institute that conducts tests for animals is the National Institute of High-Security Animal Disease in Bhopal. The zoo was closed to the public on April 1, 2025.
CHAR DHAM YATRA BEGINS
INSPITE of the terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam, the Char Dham pilgrimage began on schedule on April 30 which coincides with Akshaya Tritiya. The doors of the Kedarnath temple opened on Friday followed by the opening of the Badrinath temple. As in the case of Pahalgam, mules and horses are used to transport pilgrims in the steep hilly territory. There are also however, helicopter services for those who can afford it.
There are more than 5,000 horse operators to take pilgrims to Kedarnath which involves an 18km trek. We only hope that security arrangements are foolproof.
SPIRIT OF GOA FESTIVAL
TOURISM Director Kedar Naik has announced the Spirit of Goa festival to be held at Colva between May 2 and May 4. The festival is not about Goan culture but about daru. The three-day festival will have 40 stalls offering cashew and coconut fenny. They will, of course, be beer and hard alcohol outlets put up by multinationals and Goan companies. Goa is the only state that promotes daru in such a big way.
SMART CITY BUSES
THE only project of the Smart City Authority that has won praise is the smart city E-buses. It is claimed that over 16 lakh commuters have registered to travel in the 48 electric buses. A total of 20,000 smart cards have been issued. On the red route covering Panaji market, Taleigao and Dona Paula, three of the six buses operate without conductors. The electric buses operate in central Panaji, Mala, Bhatlem, Taleigao, Santa Cruz, Dona Paula and Cujira.
THE MILAGRES FEAST MAPUSA
THE feast of the Milagres Church in Mapusa is scheduled to be celebrated on May 5. The feast attracts people from all faiths. There is the tradition of anointing the statue of Our Lady with oil as it is done with some Hindu gods and goddesses. The traders in the Mapusa market participate in the Milagres feast. Interestingly, a decision has been taken not to allow “gobi Manchurian” stalls at the fair.
PANAJI MUNICIPAL GARDEN CONCRETISED
WE discovered on the tour of Panaji on Wednesday, April 29 that a large part of the municipal garden has been converted into a car park. All the green areas have been concretized. Even the few trees in that section of the park have been cut. This is tragic because the Panaji municipal garden has been a major venue for local events for over five decades. It is the only recreation space in the heart of Panaji.
THREE NEW INITIATIVES BY ECI
THE Election Commission of India has introduced new initiatives aimed at improving the accuracy of electral rolls, making the voting process more convenient for citizens. These measures are in line with the initiatives as envisaged by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India Gyanesh Kumar during the Conference of Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), in the presence of Election Commissioners Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi in March this year.
The Commission will now obtain death registration data electronically from the Registrar General of India in line with Rule 9 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 and Section 3(5)(b) of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 (as amended in 2023). This will ensure that the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) receive timely information about registered deaths. This will also enable Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to re-verify the information through field visits, without waiting for a formal request under Form 7.
To make Voter Information Slips (VIS) more voter friendly, the Commission has also decided to modify its design. The serial number and part number of the voter will now be displayed more prominently, with increased font size, making it easier for voters to identify their polling station and for polling officials to locate their names in the electoral roll efficiently.
The Commission has also directed that all BLOs appointed by the EROs under Section 13B(2) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 be issued standard photo identity cards to ensure that citizens can recognise and interact confidently with BLOs during voter verification and registration drives. As the first interface between the voters and the ECI in performing election related duties, it is important that BLOs are easily identifiable to the public while conducting house-to-house visits.