March 4, 2019;

The new law prohibits drinking on beaches & has provision to impose a penalty of Rs 2,000 for an individual & Rs 10,000 for a group.

The tourism department is in the process of finalising rules for its latest legislation — the Goa Tourist Places (Protection and Maintenance) (Amendment) Act, 2001 — which received Governor Mridula Sinha assent on Tuesday.

The new law prohibits drinking on beaches & has provision to impose a penalty of Rs 2,000 for an individual & Rs 10,000 for a group.

“The rules are being finalised after which we will start implementation,” director tourism department Sanjeev Gadkar said.

The penalty should be Rs/- 5000 for individuals & Rs 50,000 for groups otherwise there will be no compliance of the rules & no fear of the law.

Earlier, tourism minister Manohar Azgaonkar said, “The first priority of my ministry is to keep beaches clean. The new legislation is at the implementation stage.”

State tourism law which now will make drinking alcohol, cooking & littering in tourist places a criminal offence.

In addition, stores selling alcohol in tourist places have been barred from allowing customers to carry away bottles or cans containing liquor.

The Goa Travel &  Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) has welcomed the passing of the bill but cautioned that failure to implement the law would defeat the purpose.

Directions have been issued to inspectors & officials to strictly ensure that beaches are not littered with alcohol bottles & that visitors are not allowed to consume alcohol, he said.

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