Panaji: Chief minister Pramod Sawant said on Tuesday that there would be no stray dog menace on Goa’s beaches in the upcoming tourist season, and that state govt would ensure 100% care of stray dogs. “The stray dog menace on beaches was due to food provided to them by shack owners and other people,” he said.Sawant said that the stray cattle problem has been taken care of by constructing shelters for them.The tourism department has invited citizens, animal welfare organisations, and dog lovers to adopt them within seven days. Those that remain unadopted will be sterilised, vaccinated, and relocated to authorised animal shelters.“The department has decided to undertake necessary measures for the sterilisation and vaccination of stray dogs found along all beach stretches and their subsequent relocation to designated and authorised animal shelters,” said tourism director Kedar Naik.He said the capture and relocation would be carried out in accordance with the law and Supreme Court’s directions. The department said all measures would follow statutory animal welfare guidelines to ensure humane treatment.Sawant said that the state is committed to taking care of 100% safety and security of those tourists visiting the state. “In case of any incident, police reach the spot within nine minutes and in some cases within five minutes, but along the coastal belt, the reaction time is less than three minutes,” he said.Reacting to the comparison of Goa with other Southeast Asian countries which promote cheap tourist destinations, Sawant said that it is the marketing strategy of those countries.“We promote high-end tourism in the state. There is a lot of demand to construct new five star hotels in the state. When it comes to safety and security, international and domestic tourists feel safe in Goa as compared to any other tourist destination abroad,” he said.Besides sun, sand, and sea, state govt has started promoting spiritual tourism and hinterland tourism, he said.On land mafia, Sawant said that due to a hurry for second homes, there has been demand for land but that state govt does not allow agricultural land for conversion.
