Manohar Parrikar calls for meet to discuss drowning, drug abuse cases

Panaji, Sep 10: Amidst the incidents of drowning and drug abuse, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has convened a high level meeting tomorrow to discuss the situation, a senior official said.

State tourism department is mulling the possibility of banning swimming in the sea after sunset. The state has recently witnessed three different incidents of drowning involving four persons including two youth from a Ahmedabad based institute.

"The meeting comes in the wake of drowning cases and drug related offences will be attended by Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar, chief secretary Dharmendra Sharma along with tourism stakeholders to chalk out an action plan to curb various nuisances and incidents of drownings, brawls, drunken driving and others in the state," said a statement issued here by the Goa tourism department.

The meeting is scheduled tomorrow in Panaji, it said. "The meeting will also discuss on framing of guidelines to control the referred issues and enacting a law for controlling indiscipline on beaches and other aspects," the statement adds. Ajgaonkar had this week mulled the idea of enacting tough laws to control over-adventurous tourists from venturing into the sea.

The meeting is also expected to review the measures taken by the police department and anti narcotic cell pertaining to tracking down of drug trade in tourist places, tourism department sources said.

PTI