Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Jan 5: River navigation minister Subhash Phal Desai on Monday said the government suspects that some private yacht operators may be using the floating jetty at Panaji without paying the prescribed fees, and assured that steps would be taken to streamline the system and ensure proper revenue collection.

Addressing the issue, Phal Desai said the floating jetty was built to facilitate the tourism industry and not meant for free commercial use. “We did not hire these yachts, but we built the jetty to support tourism. There is a possibility that some people are freely using the space and charging for yacht rides. I will enquire whether private yachts are operating from our jetty and collecting money,” he said.

The minister added that the government would take measures to protect its property by deploying security personnel. He also expressed openness to formalising such operations. “We can float a tender and hire such services so that the government also earns revenue,” he said.

Phal Desai further clarified that the Panaji ferry ramp area is not designated for parking and said action would be taken to curb illegal parking by casino and rental vehicles. He pointed out that despite repeated alerts to the traffic police, vehicles continue to be parked in the ‘no parking’ zone, causing obstruction to vehicular movement on the jetty.

“We do not have the authority to physically remove these vehicles or issue challans, but the matter has been repeatedly taken up with the traffic police,” he said, adding that steps would be taken to ensure the space is not misused.