Drug Trade Flourishing, Prostitution Rampant In Goa: Shiv Sena

The recent death of a young holiday-maker due to suspected drug overdose in Goa has once again showed that drug cartels are flourishing in the state, the Shiv Sena said on Wednesday.

Shashank Sharma (24), a Hyderabad resident, died due to suspected drug overdose at Anjuna beach Sunday night.

Shiv Sena's Goa unit vice president Rakhi Prabhudesai Naik alleged that "unethical tourism" activities, marked by "sale of drugs, rampant prostitution" and other illegalities are going on in the coastal state.

"Drug trade is flourishing in the coastal belt, especially during the tourist season," she said.

"There is no excuse as to why the police department can not weed out the drug menace. Police have enough manpower to crack down on narcotics trade," Ms Naik said.

"But the amount of money that flows in this trade and rampant corruption in the (police) force is responsible for the death of youngsters due to drug overdose," she claimed.

She also asked why the officers in charge of certain police stations in the coastal belt are not transferred for years together.

The inspectors who have served for more than one year at these stations should be transferred immediately, she demanded.

"The way we hold a minister responsible for any illegality, the concerned police inspector should be suspended if there is a death due to drug overdose," Ms Naik said.

"We are not against tourists arriving here and peacefully celebrating their holidays but drug-laced rave parties should be strictly banned," she said.

Goa Tourism Development Corporation's (GTDC) chairman Nilesh Cabral, however, said it is not possible to monitor each and every tourist for drug use.

"I accept that such incidents should not happen and precautions should be taken. But you cannot monitor every single person coming to Goa. It is not humanly possible," said Cabral, who is also the state power minister.

"We are getting tourists six times our population...any tourist destination has this type of problems," he said.

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has "tightened the noose" around the drug rackets in Goa, Cabral said, while admitting that "may be there are some small instances (of drug sale)."