http://www.goachronicle.com/goa/expose/16891-tourism-dept-spent-rs-135-crore-on-drinks-pole-dancers-a-disney-land Tourism Dept spent Rs 1.35 crore on Drinks, Pole Dancers & Disney LandTHURSDAY, 24 MARCH 2011 12:055 COMMENTSGoaChronicle.com brings to you a shocking expose on how the tourism department in January and February this year spent a total of Rs 1.35 crore under the guise of promoting Goa tourism through roadshows in US and Europe. The truth is far more disturbing…read on…While in the month of January the tourism department in the Europe roadshow which was held in Rome, Italy spent Rs 40 lakhs on the event which witnessed only one participant from the Italian travel trade. The subsequent month the tourism department exceded its planned budget from the previous month and spent Rs 95 lakhs for its US-bound tourism promotion trip. However, while the Los Angeles and San Fransico roadshows had some positive feedback, the planned roadshows in Las Vegas and Florida were cancelled. However the government officials that attended this US trip and some in this entourage were also a part of the Rome roadshow, ensured that the tax payers money and their time was well spent in understanding the different business models of tourism in casinos, pole-dancing bars and Disneyland. The shocking details mentioned below are narrated by one of delegates who was part of the Goa Tourism entourage and is also government servant and his disclosure has been under very strict condition of anonymity. On the list representing the Goa government on the US trip were the Tourism Minister, Nilkanth Halankar; Director Department of Tourism, Swapnil Naik; Chief Secretary of Goa Sanjay Srivastav, Vice-Chairman of Goa State Urban Development Authority (GSUDA) Vijai Sardessai, Suraj Lotlikar, Akbar Mulla and Rajesh Kale – the information officer of Goa Tourism (who went on his on account unofficially without government permission or following of protocol set for travel for government employees). Amongst the other government officials who were to join the group was the Revenue Minister Jose Philip Desouza, he however could not make it as his US-visa approval did not come in time. While Nilkanth and other representative of the tourism department reached the US on February 17, the Chief Secretary joined the group on February 21. In Los Angeles the delegates stayed at the Hotel Beverly Hilton; the roadshow held here was well received by the travel trade, though the response was not as much at the tourism department desired. Post roadshow parties were about excursions, exploring the city and of course shopping. The entourage spent three nights and four days at the Venetian Palazio at Las Vegas, this dispite the fact that there were no roadshows planned, in fact our source reveals that there was never a road show planned in Las Vegas. While in Las Vegas; the delegates spent most of their time either at the Casinos which is what many claim you do when you go the Las Vegas. But over and above that, our source informs us that a considerable time and money were spent in Strip Bars and on pole-dancers. In fact, so enamoured was he by the surroundings the Toursim Minister himself got into the act by gyrating with the pole dancers and some of the other Goa representatives joined the tourism minister. Similarly in Florida, since the road shows that were planned could not be executed, the delegates decided to explore the wonderful tourism potential of Disneyland. From exploring the rides to staying at the Disney Land Resort; in fact it was mooted to explore the potential of creating a tourism attraction of this nature in Goa. In San Francisco, the roadshow went as planned. The delegates were staying at the Marriotts. In fact the response from the San Francisco road show was positive and the interaction with the travel trade had a lot of promise for the future with opening opportunities for more American tourist to visit Goa. But surprisingly, Nilkanth Halankar did not attend the roadshow as he left to return back to India on March 2nd. So in effect the tourism minister spent more time exploring the different night tourism destinations in US and attended only one-roadshow . He and his friends did however find time to visit the bars, casinos and restaurants. The others returned to Goa on March 4 with the Chief Secretary. Breach of government duty • On what tourism related duty was it important for the Chief Secretary to attend international tourism road shows; when the tourism minister and other senior representatives of the tourism ministry are in attendance. • On what government related duty was the vice chairman of GSUDA doing at a tourism related road show at an international destination. • How did Rajesh Kale, information officer, Goa Tourism attend this event when he did not have the permission, which is mandatory for all government employees attending government related programmes to adhere, even if he travelled at his own cost. • Being fully aware of the facts around Rajesh Kale and Vijai Sardessai, how did the Chief Secretary turn a blind eye to a breach of government protocol; including his on travel which is clearly unwarranted. • Representing the government of Goa; how can government officials be socialising at strip bars and indulge in act unbecoming of government representati ves. While it can be argued that in tourism, the officials need to explore different facets of International tourism; no where in the tourism manual of the country is it written or acceptable that the government representatives spend tax-payers money on drinks, pole dancers and Disney Land. GoaChronicle.com is trying to procure photographs of the trip and will expose the same shortly. The government will need to look into this racket as every month the tourism department has planned to travel to foreign destinations and more money on government duty pretext would be schemed and wasted.
