PANAJI:
The Congress on Wednesday demanded an audit and judicial inquiry of the Drishti Lifeguard Services contract of Tourism Department, a day after Benaulim fishermen Pele rescued a Russian tourist in distress.
Congress Media Cell Chairman Amarnath Panjikar blamed the BJP government for not taking action against the Lifeguard Contractor after having spent Rs 226.83 crores on Beach Safety & Security Contract from March 2020 till March 2024.
"In the same period 56 drowning deaths occurred in Goa. This shows that the contractor is not performing his duties," said Panjikar.
Beach Safety Contractor frequently claims that the Lifeguards are saving lives but surprisingly, Tourism Department has no mechanism in place to check the authenticity of the claims, he added.
He said, Drishti has also claimed that they united 356 missing and lost children with their parents at various beaches and water bodies in Goa. However, not a single such case is reported at local police stations.
This clearly exposes the fact that Drishti is making bogus claims, Panjikar added.
Inspection reports of Tourism Department have revealed that towers of Drishti do not have proper storage to secure rescue item and there are no CCTV Cameras to cover Swim Zones, he said.
Panjikar said, beach safety contract is a major scam of the Tourism Department and government is deliberately turning a blind eye towards the contractor.
