The Goa Tourist Places (Protection and Maintenance) Act, 2001

GOVERNMENT OF GOA Department of Tourism

Notification 7–61–2001/LA The Goa Tourist Places (Protection and Maintenance) Act, 2001 (Goa Act 56 of 2001),

the public. S. G. Marathe, Under Secretary (Drafting). Panaji, 12th September, 2001.

The Goa Tourist Places (Protection and Maintenance) Act, 2001 (Goa Act 56 of 2001) [5–9–2001] AN ACT to protect and maintain the tourist places from deterioration and erosion and preserve their tourism potential. Be it enacted by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Goa in the Fifty-second Year of the Republic of India, as follows:—

1. (1) This Act may be called the Goa Tourist Places (Protection and Maintenance) Act, 2001.
2. (2) It extends to the whole of the State of Goa.
3. (3) It shall come into force at once.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

1. (a) “competent authority” means the authority appointed under section 4 of this Act;
2. (b) “Government” means the Government of Goa;
3. (c) “nuisance” includes any act of commission or omission or carrying on of any activity, process, operation including the operation of or plying of vessels or boats or timber, raft or any other floating object in any part of the sea, river or port which causes or is likely to cause injury, danger, annoyance to the sense of sight, smell or hearing or which is or may be dangerous to life or injurious to health or property and includes oil spillage; [ (c) ‘nuisance’ includes any act of,—
   • (i) commission or omission or carrying on of any activity, process, operation which includes the operation of or plying of vessels or boats or timber, raft or any other floating object in any part of the sea, river or port or oil spillage which causes or is likely to cause injury, danger, annoyance to the sense of

sight, smell or hearing or which is or may be dangerous to life or injurious to health or property; or

1. (ii) coercing, pestering or attempting to force a tourist to purchase goods or services; or
2. (iii) consuming liquor in any space where consumption of liquor is not permitted or breaking glass bottles; or
3. (iv) cooking in open spaces beyond the confines of an area or any other space not permitted for such activity; or littering waste including used material, empty bottles, in places other than the ones meant for dumping such waste; or
4. (v) operating any boating activities for taking tourists or water sports activities from any area other than those expressly permitted and conducted

within the demarcated zones, as may be notified in the Official Gazette from time to time; or

1. (vi) engaging in the touting or sale of cruise boat tickets or any other tickets for tourist activities from any location other than authorized ticketing counters or offices at designated tourist places; or
2. (vii) begging at tourist places in a manner that causes annoyance or inconvenience to the public; or
3. (viii) selling of items or goods from unauthorized handcarts, movable carts, or by unauthorized hawkers; or
4. (ix) driving unauthorized vehicles on beaches; or
5. (x) unauthorized selling of water sports tickets/packages to tourists for services to be offered outside the State of Goa; or
6. (xi) obstructing the free movement of tourists or compelling them to purchase any items, goods or services by hawkers, agents or service providers; or
7. (xii) committing such other activity as may be prescribed.]

1. (d) “tourist place” means any place, site or location declared by the Government as tourist place under section 3 of this Act and shall include any land, monument, lake, river, beach or portion thereof;
2. (e) “tourism potentiality” means a tourist place where a person or group of persons including pilgrims are likely to visit.

On and from the date of coming into force of this Act, the Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare any place, monument, site, location to be a tourist place for the purposes of this Act, including any river, riverbed, beach, water spring, lake, water course or land, etc.

Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint any gazetted officer of the Government to be a Competent Authority either for the whole of the State of Goa or for each district of the State of Goa.

Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, or any instrument, contract or usage or any order, judgment or decree of any court, on and from the date of coming into force of this Act,–

1. (a) no person, company, association or firm or any other body shall cause any nuisance or carry out any activity, process, operation, etc., including the operation of or plying vessels, boats, etc. or omit to prevent or remove the nuisance, which damages

or deteriorates or is likely to damage or deteriorate or is capable of being damaged or deteriorated or has damaged or deteriorated the tourism potentiality of any tourist place, declared as such, under section 3 of this Act;

1. (b) the competent authority, either on its own motion or upon a complaint received or upon reference made to it, may, by an order in writing and without giving any prior notice, prohibit any nuisance being caused or prevent any such activity, process, operation as referred to in clause (a) above being carried out, if in the opinion of the said competent authority, it has damaged or deteriorated or is likely to damage or deteriorate the tourism potentiality of any tourist place, and pass such interim orders as it deems fit to give effect to the objects of this Act.

If, in the opinion of the competent authority, a nuisance is having impact on the tourism potentiality, it shall issue a notice to the owner, occupier, lessee, charterer or any person enjoying right of usage or has control of the object which has contributed to the nuisance and the owner, occupier, lessee, charterer or any person enjoying right of usage or has control of the object, as the case may be, shall within a period of 15 days from the date of receipt of such notice, abate or remove the same, and unless the same is removed or abated by the said person within the said period of 15 days or such further time as may be extended by the competent authority, but not exceeding 3 months, the competent authority shall cause removal of such nuisance.

On the failure of the owner, occupier, lessee, charterer or any person against whom notice of removal of nuisance is issued, to comply with the order of removal of such nuisance within the time fixed by the competent authority, the material thing or object of nuisance shall stand forfeited and vest in the Government, except that when such material thing or object is sold in public auction, any sum over and above the cost of removal of nuisance, shall be payable to its owner. In case the cost of removal exceeds the sale price in auction the balance shall he recovered from the concerned owner, as provided in section 8.

The expenses and costs incurred, if any, the Competent Authority in removing or abating such nuisance, shall be recovered from the person who has caused such nuisance or from the owner/occupier of the object which has contributed to the nuisance, in the same manner as arrears of land revenue.

Any property, thing, material or object, which is a nuisance under this Act, may be disposed off or dealt with by the Government, in the manner it deems fit.

1. (1) The following activities are prohibited in tourist places, namely:—
   • (a) consumption of liquor in open;
   • (b) cooking food in open;
   • (c) littering waste including used material, empty bottles, etc.
   • (d) breaking of glass bottles; and
   • (e) such other activity as may be specified by the Government, by notification in the Official Gazette.
2. (2) Any person violating the provisions of sub-section (1) shall be liable to pay a fine of Rs. 2000/- (Rupees two thousand only) to the competent authority or any other officer authorized by it in this behalf. Where such violation is committed by more than one person in a group, such group shall be liable to pay a fine of Rs. 10,000/- (Rupees ten thousand only). In case such person refused to pay such amount he shall be liable to punishment specified in section 10.
3. (3) No person engaged in business of sale of liquor shall allow its customer to carry bottles/cans containing liquor in tourist places.]

Whoever contravenes any of the provisions of this Act or fails to comply with any order or direction given under this Act or obstructs any person acting under the order or direction of the Competent Authority from exercising his powers and performing his functions under this Act, shall be punishable with fine not less

or directions given under this Act or obstructs any person acting under the orders or directions of the Competent Authority from exercising his powers and performing his functions under this Act, shall be punishable with a fine of Rs. 5000/- which may extend to Rs. 1,00,000/- and shall be also liable for punishment under section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Central Act 45 of 2023).]”

The fine as provided in this Act shall be evaluated by the Government in consultation with the Competent Authority, every two years.]

1. (1) An appeal shall lie against the order passed by the competent authority under this Act to the Government, whose decision on appeal shall be final.
2. (2) No court shall have jurisdiction to take cognizance of any suit, appeal or proceeding, against any order which can be dealt with under this Act, passed or likely to be passed under this Act.

No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall lie in any court, against the Government, Competent Authority or any of its officers or persons duly appointed or authorized by it in respect of anything which is done in good faith or is intended to be done in pursuance of or under this Act or the rules made thereunder.

All officers of the police force, home guards, person in–charge of Police Station shall act in aid of the orders of Competent Authority.

The Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act.

If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the

of removing the difficulty: Provided that no such order shall be made after the expiration of three years from the commencement of this Act.

Secretariat Annexe, V. P. SHETYE, Panaji. Secretary to the Government of Goa, Law Department (Legal Affairs). Dated 12-9-2001.

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¹ Existing clause(c) substituted vide Amendment Act 28 of 2025. The provisions yet to come

² Inserted vide Amendment Act 2019; published in the Official Gazette Series I No. 47

³ Substituted by the Amendment Act 22 of 2022. Original provisions read as follows:-

into force. (Extraordinary-2) dated 25-02-2019. “10. Offences and penalties.— (1) Whoever contravenes any of the provisions of this Act or fails to comply with any order or directions given under the Act or obstructs any person acting under the orders or directions of the Competent Authority from exercising his powers and performing his functions under this Act, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than 3 months but which may extend to 3 years or with fine which may extend to Rs. 5,000/– or with both.

1. (2) Any offence committed under this Act shall be cognizable and non-bailable”. 4. Section 10 again substituted vide Amendment Act 28 of 2025, the amended provisions yet to come inforce.

⁵ Inserted vide Amendment Act 28