Calangute: Amid an ongoing crackdown on illegal nightclubs in Tito’s lane, Baga, Calangute sarpanch Joseph Sequeira said on Saturday that locals are unfairly being blamed for all that is wrong in the tourism hotspot.“Yes, it’s true news. The name of Calangute is being known for all the wrong reasons. But outsiders come and do all these illegal activities and the blame comes on us Kongottkars (people of Calangute),” he said.“All these clubs and massage parlours are run by outsiders. No Goans are running them. However, the licences are kept in the name of Goans who give the premises on rent. That is the situation Goans here find themselves in,” he said.Sequeira alleged that illegal activities in Calangute have only grown due to poor policing. “The problem is: where are the authorities? They’ve kept tourist police. Why don’t they keep more police, the reserve police, in Calangute? What is the DIG doing sitting there? He should be giving instructions to the police to do their job. The main culprit is the beat police of that particular area. If the beat police is ok, then everything else will be ok. How can the PI reach four villages? Where are the beat police? Where are the PSIs? I feel bad saying this, nobody comes to take action here,” he said.The sarpanch said the role of the panchayat is limited and they do not have policing powers.
