Drugs worth Rs 3cr seized till Aug

Times of India | 8 hours ago | 18-10-2022 | 04:52 am

Panaji: The seizure of 114kg drugs worth over Rs 3 crore during the first eight months of 2022 has caused eyebrows to be raised over the flourishing narcotic trade in the tiny tourism-dependent state, even as police reiterate their zero-tolerance policy toward it. In 2021, a total 135kg drugs was seized.Among the drugs seized are ganja, charas, LSD, MDMA, ecstasy tablets and powder, cocaine, hashish oil, heroin, and cannabis, with ganja making up over 91kg of the total haul.Police said that most of those arrested during drug raids were non-Goans and that most of the narcotics seized were natural, such as ganja and charas. Synthetic drugs, police said, are imported by foreigners and are mostly used during parties.A senior officer said that since the resumption of tourism activities post the pandemic, drugs have also started moving into the state and in an effort to clamp down on the trade a close watch is being kept on peddlers.Goa police has also directed its officials to maintain zero tolerance to drugs and on an average over three narcotic raids are being conducted in the state every week.Recently, Goa police organised an inter-state intelligence coordination meeting on narcotics and other organised crimes during which a discussion was held on the challenges faced and a decision was taken to share information on those involved in the trade.Nearly a decade after an alleged nexus among police, politicians and the drug ‘mafia’ rocked the state, a British peddler arrested for possession of narcotics alleged that he had paid “protection money” to police. The UK national, Stephen Slotwiner, 76, was held last month for possessing drugs worth Rs 15 lakh. Based on his allegations — made during interrogation — police suspended constables Rajesh Yeshi and Appa Parab pending inquiry.The issue of drugs, which has long been simmering beneath the surface, burst on to the spotlight last month, when Hyderabad police alleged that their Goa counterparts don’t cooperate with them when it comes to cracking down on the menace.

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‘Dudhsagar incident unfortunate’

Times of India | 11 hours ago | 18-10-2022 | 02:40 am

Times of India

11 hours ago | 18-10-2022 | 02:40 am

Panaji: Describing the collapse of a foot bridge at Dudhsagar as an unfortunate incident, tourism minister Rohan Khaunte said that he has asked his department to ensure that the safety of tourists is not compromised. He also said that Goa’s tourism sector is witnessing “sea changes” that will make Goa a “top class destination” in the world.Khaunte also urged Congress president Amit Patkar and the opposition to work with the government in the interest of Goa’s tourism industry.“The incident at Dudhsagar was unfortunate and we are looking into the matter,” said Khaunte. Khaunte was responding to criticism from Patkar and other opposition parties.“Patkar was speaking purely out of ignorance and should himself witness the sea changes that are taking place to make Goa a top class world tourism destination,” Khaunte said.

Free housing for GoaMiles operators on cards: Mauvin

Times of India | 11 hours ago | 18-10-2022 | 02:40 am

Times of India

11 hours ago | 18-10-2022 | 02:40 am

Vasco: Transport minister Mauvin Godinho on Monday said that GoaMiles is here to stay and that the state government is planning to introduce free housing facilities for GoaMiles taxi operators.Godinho, who was speaking to the media at the Dabolim airport after inaugurating the GoaMiles taxi counter reiterated that multimodal transport will soon become a reality in the state. Last year, in view of the agitation by tourist taxi operators, the GoaMiles taxi counter at the airport was shut. “Taxi operators should have faith in the government. With the retaining of the Dabolim airport, tourism activities here will grow. At any cost, GoaMiles has come to stay in the state,” said Godinho, adding that the app will widen its service base by adding motorcycle pilots and rickshaws.“Footfalls will increase with the joining of more multimodal transport modes, making it easier for locals and tourists to travel all over the state,” the minister said.He also said that the state government is planning to introduce free housing facilities for GoaMiles taxi operators in the state by aligning with some central agencies.He has said that some people are trying to misguide taxi operators at the Dabolim airport. “We are here to protect the interest of Goans. We don’t want to hit the business of those operating from Dabolim airport.

Goa: To revive tourism post-Covid, government to outsource ‘rebranding’

Times of India | 23 hours ago | 17-10-2022 | 02:05 pm

Times of India

23 hours ago | 17-10-2022 | 02:05 pm

PANAJI: The state government had decided to rebrand Goa's tourism to revive the sector that has been showing signs of flagging during and post the pandemic. Towards this endeavour it has invited request for proposals from companies to handle the branding and promotion for the sector in national and international markets. Three companies have responded, so far. Meanwhile, the state government is also in the process of identifying a theme and mission statement for Goa tourism. The agency will have to develop a data driven strategy to identify target priority markets, segments, and audiences with special focus on international markets, rationale, approach, and an appropriate vehicle for promotion, among others. A senior officer said that the agency will have to assess and benchmark the current position of tourism promotion in the state vis-a-vis international, national, and comparable Indian regions/states. "To this extent, the theme adopted, promotional methods, media, tourist arrivals (by category), spend, estimated budgets, pattern of utilisation, effectiveness of tourism promotion, parameters used, and other activities undertaken would be assessed to the extent possible based on available data," the officer said. The officer said that the strategy should be able to identify a theme and mission statement to develop the Goa Tourism brand. "All data sourcing and analysis shall be the responsibility of the agency and the authority will provide reasonable assistance for the same on a best effort basis." The selected service provider will have to prepare a brand manual for Goa tourism for execution and strict adherence across Goa tourism's marketing and promotion, including by empanelled event management agencies, after undertaking critical and detailed review of current branding and advertising strategy. The service provider will have to assist the authority to identify and implement 360-degree media campaigns during the term of the project. "These campaigns will target potential markets, existing markets within and outside the country. The service provider will be required to create and design theme-based campaigns covering all forms of media," the officer said. The service provider will also be required to assist the authority to run these campaigns in different languages as per the regional requirements. The state government has decided to give the task of identifying and engaging bloggers/influencers in the travel and tourism domain to the company selected. "These bloggers will be invited to visit Goa's tourist destinations and be encouraged to communicate about the same in the market," the officer said.

Hampi, Khajuraho on list for G20 culture track

The Indian Express | 1 day ago | 17-10-2022 | 05:40 am

The Indian Express

1 day ago | 17-10-2022 | 05:40 am

AS PART of India’s G20 Presidency between December 2022 and November 2023, the Government is planning to host five key meetings focusing on the “culture track” at Khajuraho, Bhubaneswar, Hampi and Agra, The Indian Express has learnt.These cities have been chosen mainly for well-known monuments and UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Taj Mahal and Agra Fort (UP), the Hindu and Jain temples of Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh), the Konark Sun Temple around 65 km from Bhubaneswar (Odisha), and the sites at Hampi (Karnataka). Agra will host two of the five meetings, it is learnt.The Government had announced last month that there will be 215 meetings in all, spread across 55 sites, covering most states during India’s G20 presidency. The main summit will be held in September at Delhi’s International Exhibition Cum Convention Centre at Pragati Maidan, which is presently under construction and will be ready by mid-2023.For the culture track, a G20 Secretariat has been set up in the Ministry of Culture, which will hire a professional agency “for research, documentation and coordination work for the G20 work-stream of culture”, according to records reviewed by The Indian Express. Besides the five meetings, around 250 cultural events will be held on the sidelines for delegates for the duration of the G20 presidency, officials said.Setting the cultural agenda for the meetings, the records state: “This presidency also provides a fantastic opportunity for India to shape the global agenda on culture across multiple work streams and engagement areas. These include: a) protection and restitution of cultural property; b) advancement of traditional cultural practices for sustainable living; c) promotion of cultural and creative industries for livelihood generation; and d) preservation and dissemination of culture by leveraging technology.”Earlier, Siliguri, Rann of Kutch, Kashmir and Goa had been finalised as destinations for various G20 meetings by the Ministry of Tourism. Officials said India’s presidency will be used as an opportunity to push the country as a preferred tourist destination, with delegates to be taken on familiarisation tours.During the G20 Presidency starting December 1 this year, India will invite Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain and UAE as guest countries. The G20 is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries — Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US — and the European Union.

Goa to earn additional Rs 50 crore/year from beer excise hike

Times of India | 2 days ago | 16-10-2022 | 06:39 am

Times of India

2 days ago | 16-10-2022 | 06:39 am

PANAJI: The recent hike in excise duty on beer will net the cash-strapped Goa government an additional Rs 50 crore on an annual basis. Goa's liquor industry, which sells close to six million cases of beer every year, has accepted the Rs 10-12 increase in prices, but cautioned the government against tinkering with prices of hard liquor on the eve of the tourist season.The state earns around Rs 500cr a year on excise collections. The Goa government hiked the excise duty on beer by Rs 10-12 per bulk litre, while leaving the excise duty on Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) and foreign liquor unchanged. Attempts to increase excise duty on IMFL and foreign liquor will have a ripple effect on Goa's tourism industry and the coming wedding season, said a major alcohol retailer and wholesale dealer. "Beer is a low-hanging fruit and the increase is fine. The question is whether the IMFL and foreign liquor prices will also be increased," said the retailer, who did not wish to be named. Annually, the excise department earns around Rs 500 crore through excise collections. Goa, which has always been known for cheap alcohol rates and liberal drinking policies, is no longer the country's cheapest liquor destination. Hard liquor rates in Delhi, Haryana, and Chandigarh are more affordable, and many north Indian travellers have stopped purchasing hard liquor while flying back home after a wedding, holiday, or business trip. The Maharashtra government has also threatened to invoke the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act on people who bring liquor from Goa into the state, a move that many have described as "fear mongering" and blown out of proportion. However, alcohol retailers have already seen a "significant drop" in sales of hard liquor "What is worrisome is that the government does not take stakeholders into confidence," said a South Goa-based retailer. "Increasing excise duty is the government's prerogative, but it should not happen just before the season starts. Establishments have printed new menus, purchase orders have been placed and budgeting has happened. Any sudden increase squeezes the margins and locks up working capital." Speaking to TOI, a government official said the excise department chose to touch only beer prices because IMFL and foreign liquor rates are already comparable with neighbouring states. "The government will earn around Rs 50 crores additional revenue over a year by increasing beer prices," said the government source. "It will not lead to a shift towards drinking hard liquor because people drink as per tastes and not based on prices." For a person consuming alcohol at a bar or restaurant, beer prices will jump significantly, because aside from the excise duty which will be factored into the price, VAT will also be levied on the sale. "The state government needs to look at Delhi and other states and try to earn revenue by increasing volumes," said Goa bar and restaurant owners association president, Michael Carrasco. Stakeholders from the alcohol-beverage industry said that while the government rakes in revenue from alcohol sales, the funds should be used to collect and recycle the millions of bottles that are subsequently discarded or broken.

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