Kamat bans New Year celebrations on Goa beach

After initial reluctance, the Goa government today decided to ban the beach parties on the Goa's coastline during Christmas and New year in view of heightened terror threat perception.

“Taking into consideration all the aspects, we have decided that beach parties would not be allowed from December 23 to January 5,” Goa Chief Minister Digamber Kamat told reporters outside his official residence.

The Legislature Party of ruling Congress initially had recommended the ban but the chief minister on December 19 clarified that they might not ban the parties.

The chief minister today held a high-level meeting in the presence of home minister Ravi Naik to review the security arrangement in the state.

Emerging from the meeting, the Home Minister said that all other festivities and celebrations will continue in the state. “There is no ban for the functions in the hotels. Also, the traditional celebrations will go on uninterrupted,” Naik said.

He said the security has been tightened all along the state and guests need not worry.

Goa attracts 26 lakh tourists annually, of which maximum inflow is during the Christmas and New Year. The state is famous for beach parties, for which thousands flock the state coastline to usher in the New Year.