Goa cops on Anjuna cleansing drive

Cops on Anjuna cleansing drive
Put Onus On Shackowners To Prevent Drugs, Beach Parties
Preetu Nair | TNN

Anjuna: Wild, drug-powered parties on the beach with loud music blaring through the night in Anjuna, marked on the world tourist map as the hippie haven in the sixties and seventies, may be a thing of the past this season. That is, if the government manages to implement its orders properly.
Rocked by the rape and murder of British teenager Scarlett Keeling in February and because of the increased threat perception in the state, the police say they are not taking any chances this tourist season. Local panchayats have been told by the police to ensure that all those who apply for no objection certificates to erect shacks and other tourist amusement centres on the beaches should prohibit the use of narcotic drugs and strictly follow the closing time of 11 pm.
The onus will be on the owners of these establishments if anything untoward happens in or around their premises, a police note to the panchayats said. “Strict measures need to be taken not just to ensure the safety of tourists but also to ensure security. Security of the state comes before tourism, and it’s the police’s responsibility to warn the agencies concerned,” said SP (North) Bosco George.
Owners of shacks and amusement centres have also been asked to display boards prohibiting the use of narcotic drugs. They will have to provide security not only to guests, but their belongings as well by employing guards verified by the police.
PARTY POOPER
Shacks must close down by 11 pm, order police Shackowners will be held responsible for any untoward incident on their premises or nearby Shackowners say the police diktats will hit the tourism industry Shackowners not keen on crackdown
Anjuna: Cracking down on beach parties and drug peddling, the police have asked the Anjuna panchayat to warn shack owners that they would be held responsible for anything untoward happening in and around their establishments. Hence, they should be prompt to intimate police of any suspicious thing or person in the vicinity of their premises.
A similar letter has also been sent by the Calangute police to the panchayat. “From the security point of view, both Calangute and Anjuna are vulnerable to terror attacks. These precautions are the need of the hour and the community as a whole has to cooperate,” added George.
Goa has been in terror crosshairs because of the large number of foreign tourists it attracts, especially from Russia, the UK, the US and Israel.
However, shackowners are not amused with the police idea. “This will adversely affect tourism. People come here because of the privacy they get and to enjoy the nightlife. We don’t encourage the sale or consumption of drugs in the shacks, but without music and nightlife we won’t have any tourists visiting us,” said All Goa Shack Owners Welfare Society president Cruz Cardozo.
Meanwhile, a request by the Anjuna panchayat to the tourism department to light up Vagator, Anjuna and Ozran beaches with sodium vapour lamps has been turned down.
“We had asked for sanction of 100 sodium vapour lamps and 500 street light fixtures to be provided on existing electricity poles on the beach side. But the tourism department has replied that the government has discontinued with the policy of supplying such material,” said Anjuna sarpanch Sandip Chimulkar.
Panchayat members are now toying with the idea of putting up tubelights and even focus light at strategic locations at the local police's request. “The beach area is absolutely dark. Scarlett’s rape and murder has already given a bad name to the place. This season we want to ensure that the place is safe for tourists. Proper lighting will also act as a deterrent to terrorists who might seek to take advantage of the cover of darkness,” added Chimulkar.

September 21, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition