Re: Anjuna Boat Tragedy

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28th  April, 2003

To:
1) Captain of Ports, Panjim - Goa.
Kind attn. Capt. A P Mascarenhas

2) Merchantile Marine Department, Vasco da Gama -Goa.
 Kind attn. Capt. K P Jayakumar.

3) Director of Tourism, Panjim - Goa.
Kind attn. Mr. N  Suryanarayana.

4) Director General of Police, Police Head Quarters, Panjim - Goa.
Kind attn. Mr. Seva Dass.

5) Collector- North Goa, Collectorate, Panjim -Goa.
Kind attn. Mr. S S Keshkamat

6) Collector- South Goa, Collectorate, Margao -Goa.
Kind attn. Mr. J P  Singh

Sir,

The Goa Su-Raj Party being concerned with the loss of life taking place on
the beaches of Goa through drowning deaths  involving  bathers, most of the
time, and now,  tragically,  due to the capsizing of a boat  in which  the
lives of nine tourists have been lost (Anjuna boat tragedy) , has decided to
approach the High Court of Bombay at Goa in an appropriate writ to seek to
put things right, being disgusted with the way in which the government of
Goa deals with matters relating to tourists and  tourism  in the state of
Goa.

The following questions are being posed to you to identify the source/s of
the problem/s and the government department/s responsible for not taking the
measures necessary to prevent such wanton waste of lives:-

1) Does your department have jurisdiction over boating activities taking
place along the sea shore line, rivers, bays and in the sea?

2) Whose authority/license is necessary, if at all, to operate boats to
carry passengers or for hire?

3) Which is the department which has such authority in case yours does not?

4) What is the system of inspection established in order to determine:

a) The size of the boat and material used in its  construction?

b) Under any given category, which is the system applicable to determine the
number of passengers/crew that are allowed to be carried by the boat?

c) What is the regime of inspections, after licenses are issued, if any, to
verify the condition of the boat at any given time?

d) What are the safeguards/security measures necessary to be provided in the
boat prior to the issue of the license?

e) What is the infrastructure  which is necessary to be in place and under
whose jurisdiction,  to conduct search and rescue operations in the event of
accidents relating to boating and transport of passengers in rivers, bays,
sea shore line or at sea?

5)  Whether any communication/s  were  received  by you from the
     office/s   of  the  other   department/s   in  the   immediate   past
     indicating irregularities  and/or  illegalities  relating  to  boating
     activities  in  rivers,  beach  shore  line,  warranting  necessary
     corrective  actions  from  your  department  for the observance
     and/or implementation of safety  norms and others?

Kindly note that we shall await your response in the next 15 days from the
receipt  of this communication.

Also, please note that  your response will help us to decide whether your
department should be made a party in the writ, and as such,  we hope to have
truthful answers from your department.


Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,
for  GOA SU-RAJ PARTY.


(Floriano C. Lobo)
President

COPY TO: Chief Secretary, Government of Goa, Secretariat, Panjim,
                    for kind information.
                   Kind attn. Mr. D S Negi