The Tourism Department has hiked fees for permissions during the peak season and imposed fines on those flouting rules
As the December festivities have ended, the tourism department has deemed it fit to increase fees for different permissions to be sought by organisers during the peak season. Meanwhile, the High Court of Bombay at Goa haw given a rap on the knuckles to the Goa State Pollution Control Board and the Anjuna Police, for turning a deaf ear to the breach in noise pollution levels and not accepting responsibility when called out on their inaction 10% hike in fees for nod to Tourism Events.
For major tourism-related events in Goa, fees payable to the Tourism Department requesting for various permissions, have been hiked by 10%. The revised fees are applicable for events held during the tourist season only. As per the revised fee structure, the following fees are applicable.
For music festivals organised in non-licensed premises during the tourist season-for up to 5000 attendees-the said fee is Rs.10 lakh (existing) plus 10% increase; for 5,000 to 10,000 attendees – Rs. 15 lakh (existing) plus 10% increase; above 10,000 attendees – Rs.20 lakh (existing) plus 10% increase. For night bazaars, the revised fee is Rs.60,000 per season.
For events like motorbike weeks, car rallies, non-ticketed music fests, MICE, exhibitions and other tourism-related events like youth festivals, etc, the fees are Rs.75,000 lump sum (subject to maximum 30 days of event period). As per the revised fee structure, the off-season fees will be 1/5th of the season fees, while peak season fees would be five times of fees applicable during season, excluding GST.
‘Peak season’ is defined as the period between December 20 and January 5 of any calendar year and off-season period is between June 1 and September 30 of any calendar year. In the revised fee structure, no changes have however been made towards the security deposits to be paid to the tourism department.
Hotels fined Rs.1 lakh each over non-registration
The Tourism Department has informed that a fine of Rs.1 lakh has been imposed on owners/hotelkeepers of 31 hospitality properties along the beach areas in North Goa for non-registration/non-renewal of hotel/guesthouses under the Goa Registration of Tourist Trade Act, 1982. The defaulters have been directed to deposit the fine in the government treasury within 30 days of the receipt of order passed by the prescribed authority.
“In case of failure on their part to pay the fine imposed, the same shall be recovered as arrears of land revenue and the business shall be liable to be closed,” stated a press note from the Department. “Furthermore, the prescribed authority shall proceed to seal the business premises and order disconnection of water and electric connection under Section 22(3) of the Goa Registration of Tourist Trade Act, 1982,” it added. “In case the seal affixed by the prescribed authority is tampered with or damaged, the hotel keeper, as the case may be, shall be liable to pay additional fine of Rs.10 lakh apart from further action under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code 1860 (Central Act 45 of 1860),” the Tourism Department said.
