Panaji, Jan 8 (Courtesy-PTI) …. Even as Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar has directed austerity measures to avoid unnecessary spending in the wake of current economic situation, a delegation led by deputy chief minister Fransic D’Souza and tourism minister Dilip Parulekar is planned for multi country `study tour’.
Parulekar told reporters here that he along with the deputy chief minister D’Souza would be heading for Israel and other countries in the second week of February “to study the village tourism.”
“There is this concept of village tourism in Israel. We will be visiting there to study it so that it can be replicated in Goa,” the minister said, adding “even Chief Minister might join us, but he is not sure.”
Responding to a question on why does ministers require to tour countries to study the tourism concepts, Parulekar shot back “why are we elected then? Bureacrats will be there but we will also be going to the tour.”
The state’s economy is currently fearing recession due to stopping of mining industry, which was the highest revenue earner for the state. Parrikar in recent past has asked the ministers and officials to have austerity measures.
State’s main political opposition, Congress party, has taken strong objection to this proposed tour at the expense of state’s exchequer.
“There is no money with the state government to pay wages of the teachers who are recently recruited in services. How can they spend money lavishly for such a tour?,” Congress’ Goa spokesman Sudip Tamankar said.
“The state should give proper attention to the existing beach tourism. Village tourism can be encouraged but not by visiting other countries. We should work on strengthening our own plus points,” Tamankar said.
He alleged that Parrikar-led government has left state’s finances into doldrums.
