This is with reference to the letter ' What needs to be done to stop drinking in public places' by Jerry Fernandes (TGE, Jan 30). One of the main reasons why tourists flock to Goa, is the easy and cheap availability of liquor , especially the local feni and urrak which are the specialities of Goa and unavailable elsewhere in the country. Earlier it was the glut of mangoes and abundance of fish that were enjoyed by outsiders. Not today. So, what remains as the main attraction is cheap liquor, which is the golden goose of the Goa govt and which no govt would like to experiment with, by reducing liquor licences in the state. The only viable option remaining is to ban the sale of liquor within a radius of 100 metres or more, around school, colleges and places of worship, and making drinking in public a punishable offence.
