Date:15/07/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/07/15/stories/2004071504491000.htm

National

Goa to crack down on `rave parties'

By Anil Sastry

PANAJI, JULY 14. Revellers, beware. Goa will not be the State for `rave parties' from this tourism season.

The Government is all set to crack the whip on "rave parties" besides amending the Excise Act to regulate the timings of bars and liquor outlets in the State.

"Rave parties have been the vehicles for pushing narcotics in the State," the Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar, told the Assembly on Tuesday adding that "this year we will crack down on the parties."

Mr. Parrikar was responding to the Opposition charge that the Government was "conniving" with the organisers of such parties, particularly those being held along the coast in Bardez and Pernem taluks.

The Deputy Leader of Opposition, Dayanand Narvekar, said during the debate on the demands for grants of the Excise and the Sales Tax Departments, besides the two Collectorates of North and South Goa, that illegal bars were operating along the coastal villages of Arpora, Candolim and Arambol. Liquor and noisy music attracted the youth to these illegal places.

He also accused the Government of promoting unregulated and high-stake gambling in casinos.

Opposing the budgetary demands, the Leader of the Opposition, Pratap Singh Rane, said the Excise Department was hardly conducting inspections in places where there was "free flow" of liquor.

"This is not the kind of tourism, culture or influence we want for our future generations. It is going on openly," he said.

The demands amounting to Rs. 17.06 crores, including Rs. 85.9 lakhs for Goa Sadan, Delhi, were later passed by voice-vote after the cut motions moved by the Opposition members were defeated.