Panaji, Dec 17 (IANS) Goa Tourism Minister Mickky Pacheco Thursday told the legislative assembly that the state home ministry was bringing Goa a bad name, triggering a verbal battle between him and Home Minister Ravi Naik.
Pacheco’s remark came during zero hour, after Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar raised the issue of tourists on Goan beaches being hassled by beggars, touts and petty peddlers, most of whom belong to a tribe called Lamanis from Karnataka.

“The tourist police does not fall under ambit of the tourism department. They report to the home department, who does not take the things seriously. The police only take hafta (protection money) from the Lamanis,” Pacheco said, adding that “these things are bringing Goa a bad name”.

Naik, who is already under pressure considering the rising crimes against women especially tourists in the state, said that it was not the job of the home department to look into such “small affairs”.

“The home department does not look into these small affairs. We don’t deal with officers to the level of police inspectors. We know who is spoiling Goa’s name and why. Some day it will be exposed,” he said.