The Goa Assembly has passed a bill amending a state tourism law, under which drinking alcohol, cooking and littering in tourist places will be a criminal offence. In fact, tourists are banned from carrying away bottles or cans containing liquor from stores selling alcohol in tourist places. According to the new amendment, violators of the law will be fined Rs 2,000, and if the violation is committed by more than one person, the group will have to pay Rs 10,000. There are, however, no penal provisions in the new law. The passing of the bill has been welcomed by Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) but cautioned that failure to implement the law would defeat the purpose.
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