Ask Centre to issue e-visas to UK citizens: Tourism industry to CM

Times of India | 1 month ago | 15-06-2022 | 02:40 am

Panaji: Apprehensive tourism stakeholders, led by the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), have petitioned chief minister Pramod Sawant to take up with the Centre the matter of issuing e-visas to citizens of the UK and other nations that have been excluded so far. Goa did not receive charter tourists last season, while another category of travellers — free, independent travellers (FITs) — largely avoided visiting India after the UK was excluded from the list of countries eligible for Indian e-visas. “We want the chief minister to take up the issue with the Centre. If UK citizens continue to be ineligible for e-visas, footfalls from the country will be negligible for yet another season,” said TTAG president Nilesh Shah. After Russia, the UK has been the biggest market for the state and receives repeat tourists. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has drastically changed the scene. “While growth in the domestic segment has been overwhelming, we are concerned about foreign arrivals. Last season, after receiving a schedule of UK charters, it was cancelled when the country figured in the list of at-risk nations,” a tour operator said. With most of the repeat UK guests being senior citizens, hotelier Savio Messias said they find it troublesome to travel to the Indian embassy in London for visa formalities. Recently, a couple that was on the cusp of booking a trip to India cancelled after realising the arduous process involved in obtaining a visa. “A trip to London involves an overnight stay for them and would cost almost as much as one of their flights to India,” he said. A tour operator said British visitors are the second-most numerous non-SAARC travellers to India and that it is sad to lose so many guests because British passport holders are no longer eligible for e-visas. Shah said that besides this issue, tourism stakeholders also requested the CM to stop harassment of tourists by the police. “We also complained about the prevalence of touts. You find them at beaches, outside casinos, and at other tourists areas badgering tourists. This has to be stopped,” he said. The issue of security of tourists was also discussed as even a small incident can affect the image of the state, he said.

Read more

Share:

Similar News

Govt, local institutions capable of running primary schools: CM

Times of India | 2 hours ago | 11-08-2022 | 01:08 am

Times of India

2 hours ago | 11-08-2022 | 01:08 am

Panaji: Hitting out at AAP, chief minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday said that government and local institutions are capable of running the primary schools in the state. AAP should first see the condition of schools in the state where they have a government, he said. Sawant said he did not need political advice to run the schools.The chief minister, who also holds the education portfolio, said that the state government has started a survey to identify government primary schools for amalgamation and not a single school has been closed so far. He said that the government has started speaking to teachers. “The merger of schools is at the planning stage,” Sawant said.“If there are only four students and primary schools are in a 2km radius we want to merge them and provide four teachers and improve the infrastructure,” the chief minister said.He said that the state government is capable of running government primary schools and in the last 60 years it has done so. Sawant said that if the parents are ready to take responsibility to run the schools, then the government will help them with additional teachers. “There is no need for any political party to take over government primary schools to run and the government is committed to run the schools.” AAP on Tuesday requested director of education Shailesh Zingade to reverse the decision of merging government primary schools in the interest of public and students. In a memorandum, AAP offered to “adopt” these schools which are to be merged and “show how the enrolment in these schools can be increased by providing futuristic facilities in these schools”.The chief minister said that first they should see the bad condition of schools in the state which are run by their party. Sawant said that AAP only wants publicity and to print some news in Delhi. The chief minister said that out of 540 high schools, the state government runs only 10% of high schools. “Institutions and the government are capable of running the schools, there is no need for political parties to get involved. The government will not allow any political party to run the schools,” he said.

All encroached govt land will be taken back: Sawant

Times of India | 3 hours ago | 11-08-2022 | 01:06 am

Times of India

3 hours ago | 11-08-2022 | 01:06 am

Panaji: All government land that has been encroached on will be reverted to its original position, chief minister Pramod Sawant said on Wednesday. “I will not allow anyone to grab government land,” Sawant said.A special investigation team (SIT) has registered a first information report against an unknown person for allegedly illegally selling 73 properties belonging to the state government in Sanguem taluka. The Goa legislative assembly passed the Registration (Goa Amendment) Bill, 2022, to empower the authorities investigating land grab cases to file a case before the appropriate court or tribunal to determine the veracity of documents.“The investigating authority shall file a case before such a court or tribunal only after ascertaining on exhaustive investigation that the document registered with the registering officer is fraudulent,” the bill states. “The court or tribunal may, upon such enquiry as it deems fit, order cancellation of a document which is found to be fraudulently registered, and it may also order restoration of property in the name of the original owner on cancellation of such document.”The officer must revert the land to its original owner within two days of the court order declaring a document forged, the Bill states. The chief minister had also said that not a single person has approached the SIT to claim ownership of the land being investigated by them. “Anonymous properties, whose owners are in foreign countries or whose owners do not exist, such properties have been sold or illegally grabbed. This will not be permitted. Such properties will belong to the state government,” the chief minister had said.Elaborating, the CM said that in case there are illegally grabbed properties of Goans who have surrendered Indian citizenship and moved abroad, then the government may also think of taking over these properties. Sawant said that the state government will sign a memorandum of understanding with Isha Outreach for the Save Soil Movement started by Sadguru. He said that under this program there will be exchange of expertise, training and empowerment of stakeholders and public awareness. “It will help us in achieving sustainable goals in Goa,” he said. Sawant said that Isha Outreach will share its soil policy with the state.

Forest minister Vishwajit Rane moots animal safaris in Goa, eyes central government tie-up

Times of India | 20 hours ago | 10-08-2022 | 07:53 am

Times of India

20 hours ago | 10-08-2022 | 07:53 am

PANAJI: Animal safaris will be provided in Goa on the lines of such safaris offered at Kevadia, Gujarat, forest minister Vishwajit Rane said on Tuesday. Rane said that he has already discussed the plan with the Union minister. The state is looking at working on the project in collaboration with the central government, he said. "Following in the footsteps of an animal safari developed in Kevadia, we sought advice from the Union minister to work closely with the ministry in the development of a state-of-the-art animal safari in Goa," Rane said. Rane met Union minister for environment, forest and climate change Bhupendra Yadav. During the meeting, a development plan for Bondla zoo was also discussed. The zoo will be upgraded to showcase fauna found in the Western Ghats, Rane said. "We also discussed the Bondla Zoological Park's integrated and holistic development to showcase the diverse fauna of the Western Ghats and other regions in a naturalistic setting. A master plan, including such proposals, has already been submitted to Central Zoo Authority," said Rane. The minister said that a proposal for maintenance of Goa's grasslands is also on the cards. "I discussed various proposals, viz, integrated development of wildlife habitat under which we have sought approval for maintenance of grasslands, enrichment plantation with fruit-bearing trees, creation and maintenance of forest roads, nature camping facility in protected areas, etc," the minister said. He said that the proposals discussed also included creation of artificial watering holes in protected areas of Goa using solar pumps and nature guide training programmes and capacity building of local youth for eco-tourism activities.

Arvind Kejriwal: AAP will be a national party if one more state recognises

The Indian Express | 1 day ago | 10-08-2022 | 03:40 am

The Indian Express

1 day ago | 10-08-2022 | 03:40 am

After receiving state party status in Goa, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal said on Tuesday that the “Broom” party will soon become a “national ” party. The Election Commission of India (ECI) declared AAP a state party in Goa, after reviewing its performance in the February Assembly polls.Congratulating party workers, Kejriwal posted a communication the party received from the Election Commission and said, “After Delhi and Punjab, AAP is now a state recognised party in Goa too. If we get recognised in one more state, we will officially be declared a national party.”He further added, “I congratulate each and every volunteer for their hard work. I thank the people for reposing faith in AAP.”

Cabinet note shows CM’s nod for tur dal purchase: GFP, Cong

Times of India | 1 day ago | 09-08-2022 | 04:08 am

Times of India

1 day ago | 09-08-2022 | 04:08 am

Panaji: A cabinet note from April 2020 pertaining to the purchase of tur dal surfaced online on Monday prompting Congress and GFP to turn the heat on the government. GFP president Vijai Sardesai and state Congress chief Amit Patkar accused chief minister Pramod Sawant and former civil supplies minister Govind Gaude of denying their role in the fiasco that saw more than 200 tonne of tur dal getting rotten in a government godown.The cabinet note, which was signed by then civil supplies secretary Isha Khosla, states that Sawant and Gaude approved the purchase of 408 tonnes of tur dal for public distribution at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.“The chief minister cannot distance himself from this scam and say that he did not want the dal to be procured,” said Sardesai. “I am going to write to the PM because this scam happened during the lockdown and the guilty have to be brought to book.”Sawant said that the state vigilance department will investigate why over 200 tonne of rotten tur dal that have been lying in the godowns of the department of civil supplies since the start of the pandemic were allowed to rot. Sawant said that, after the inquiry, those found responsible will be punished.“He should not try to make some government officer a scapegoat. There is a procurement scam here and he needs to go in depth into this through an SIT,” said Sardesai. State civil supplies director Gopal Parsekar said 400 tonne of tur dal had been delivered to the department’s godowns at the start of the pandemic for distribution in containment zones through fair price shops. Of this, 242 tonne of the pulses valued at Rs 1.5 crore remained unsold at the godowns.The pulses were procured at Rs 79,000 per tonne and were to be sold to ration card holders at Rs 83 per kg over a period of two months.Congress said that BJP’s lies are unravelling.

More News

Latest News