SOWS vents ire at ex-MLA of Calangute

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/SOWS-vents-ire-at-ex-MLA-of-Calangute/articleshow/51389093.cms

The shack owners welfare society (SOWS) on Saturday strongly objected to a statement made by ex-Calangute MLA Agnelo Fernandes against the construction of public pay toilets and changing rooms at Candolim.

Speaking to TOI, the society’s secretary, John Lobo, said, “The statement that public toilets will result in cheap tourists coming to Canadolim and ruining the up-market image of the beach is absurd and uncalled-for. The fact is that all types of tourists patronize the existing facilities at Baga and Calangute. Public toilets are a basic necessity and should be built at all spots that are visited by a large number of tourists, specially on all the beaches in Goa.”

 Lobo added that shack owners have long been demanding public toilets to deter visitors from sullying the environment.
 
“It’s also not right for Fernandes to say that the public can visit the toilets in beach shacks. Shacks don’t function during the monsoon. Where does he expect tourists to urinate and defecate then?” he asked.

 

ToI had recently reported that tourism stake-holders in Candolim at a recent gram sabha had raised the issue of the proposed public toilets-changing rooms at Candolim which have not been built despite the foundation stone having been laid two years ago. Following this former MLA Agnelo Fernandes, talking to ToI, said that many tourism stakeholders are against building those toilets in Candolim as it would result in cheap tourists visiting the area