Goa Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant praised his BJP colleague and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the arrangements at Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj and called for an immediate end to VIP culture.
“More than 50 crore people have taken a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam with excellent arrangements by UP CM Yogi Adityanath, but there should be no VIP culture,” said Dr. Pramod Sawant at ABP Network’s Ideas of India 2025 event in Mumbai on Friday.
Dismissing claims that tourism in Goa is declining, Sawant refuted rumors spread by some social media influencers attempting to shift perceptions.
“Goa continues to attract millions as a premier tourism destination. The government has made conscious efforts to decongest popular sites, which is why some felt Goa was empty on New Year’s Eve. The state remains a ‘safe and clean’ tourist haven,” asserted the Goa Chief Minister, adding that the police are investigating social media misinformation against the coastal state.
Sawant highlighted Goa’s 21% growth in the tourism sector, sharing official tourism data. “Compared to eight million tourists last year, 10 million tourists visited the state this year,” he said, adding that his government is expanding and developing airports and ports to accommodate both domestic and international tourists.
According to Sawant, Goa embodies the spirit of Atithi Devo Bhava with no restrictions on travel and food. “Even older visitors have been coming to Goa for spiritual tourism. The state has had a Uniform Civil Code since 1961, and birth, death, and marriage registration is mandatory for all,” said the two-term Goa CM.
Confident about achieving Viksit Goa (Developed Goa) by 2037—ten years ahead of other states—Sawant pointed out that despite being a Portuguese colony from 1510 to 1961 and gaining independence 14 years after the rest of India, Goa has made significant progress across all sectors.
Speaking at the session Conscious Development – Making Governance Ecologically Sensitive, Sawant acknowledged that Goa still requires significant development despite being ahead of many regions in the country. He highlighted that Goa ranks fourth in the Sustainable Development Goals index and aims to reach the top by 2030.
Once heavily reliant on mining for revenue, Goa’s economy is now driven by the tourism and pharmaceutical sectors.
“Goa has been dependent on tourism for a long time. We have decongested the most popular areas, primarily coastal ones, but the influx of tourists remains high, especially during the New Year celebrations,” explained Sawant.
In a sarcastic remark, he added, “People never knew Goa had several famous temples and that Hindus live here,” emphasizing that his government is also promoting sports and spirituality.
