Ahead of Goa Assembly polls, tourism trade voters expect solutions to long pending problems

With State Assembly elections just round the corner, voters of one of the Goa’s main industry-tourism, are seeking solutions to long pending problems that are plaguing the tourism sector.

Voters on the coastal belt up North are expecting some real solutions to their various problems like infrastructure.

Tourism sector of Goa is its main financial sector but it lacks basic infrastructure.  While state government brags of building bridges and constructing highways across Goa,  the beach belt of Sinquerim-Candolim-Calangute-Baga upto Morjim and Ashwem up North is congested,” Sadanand Malik, who owns a restaurant in the busy lane of Candolim said. The business community in tourism hotbed is looking forward to quick redressal to their grievances.  Malik says during last five years, some of the issues were settled but much remains to be done.

The state government set up a garbage treatment plant that takes care of the waste generated in this belt. It is a big respite,” he said referring to the state-of-the-art plant that has been constructed at Saligao treating more than 100 metric tonnes of garbage daily.

But issues like proper roads, cleanliness on beaches, proper toilets and changing rooms on beaches, prostitution in this area and narcotics trade still remains untouched. They plague tourism industry in a big way, he said. 

Local BJP MLA Michael Lobo had gone on hunger strike in his own constituency three years back to get rid of prostitution and drugs from this place. But few police raids later, the issue skipped media attention and both these things continued to flourish here.

 “There are so many things to be done on the infrastructure front . You can’t change the face of the area overnight when it was neglected for decades,” Lobo said admitting that lot needs to be done here.  While Sinquerim to Baga belt remains to be lucky as far garbage processing is concerned, the treatment of the waste generated on the beaches across the 105 kilometre long coastline still remains an issue.

“There is no waste collection in South Goa’s beaches and shoreline up North Goa. Government needs to work out a solution for that too like the one worked out for Calangute belt,” Cruz Cardoso, President, Goa Shack Owners Welfare Society said.

He said the new government should look at problems faced by shack owners, which are getting worsened with every passing year.